


Paper Airplane

by zenlikestowrite



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, cross-posted on Asianfanfics.com, highschoolAU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-09-05 09:22:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 57,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16807828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenlikestowrite/pseuds/zenlikestowrite
Summary: Park Jaehyung - an aviation enthusiast who clumsily confesses to the wrong person as his paper airplane tattooed with his feelings takes a bit of a detour."I wrote a letter on a folded paper airplane, hoping it would find its way to your heart"- Jeremy Passion | Paper AirplaneOriginally posted on Asianfanfics.com





	1. Booked

**Author's Note:**

> twitter: @zenkrcovers  
> kakao: zenaya  
> feel free to contact me on either of those platforms! I'm rather friendly and up for any conversation! :)

_Boeing 747_

_Cessna 172_

_Cirrus SR22_

_Airbus A380..._

Jaehyung recited several models of airplanes in his mind as his slender, and slightly trembling fingers creased the white paper that was tattooed with the words of his confession. He folded the piece of paper into a simple airplane, something that he loved. Jae turned the plane around in his hands, making sure there were no unwanted creases, folds or smudges in his writing. The other students around him were currently talking to each other, enjoying their lunch break, while he was currently stressing about a confession that was about to take place.

Jae was looking at the clock, counting down the seconds he had to throw the plane in order for it to land on his desk just when he walked in, without it being completely obvious that Jae threw it.

_Okay, just a few more seconds..._

He thought as he prepared himself to throw the plane.

He knew exactly when to threw it, because the person he was confessing to came back to the classroom from lunch at the exact same time everyday.

With 6 seconds to the bell, Jae threw it, and soon as he released the plane from his fingertips, he immediately turned to face the front of the class just as a group of boys entered the class, their teacher trailing behind them.

"Okay, class!" the teacher's voice took over after the bell rang, but then trailed off as Jae drowned in the worries of confessing after school.

Jae was fiddling with his thumbs as he paced back and forth, waiting behind the doors of the school's gym. He was just hoping that the plane letter had worked, and that the boy knew where he wished to meet. Jae was mumbling to himself, when he heard the crunches of leaves, and footsteps that were drawing closer. His gaze was fixated on the grass below, and as soon as black and white classic Converse came into view, the words wouldn't stop.

"Uh, S-Sungjin, hi, my name is Jae- actually, my full name is Jaehyung. I just wanted to tell you that I really like you, and I've liked you for a while, but I know we're not really friends, so I didn't exactly know how to tell you this, but I just wanted to tell you to get it off my chest, and maybe, hopefully, hear a response but it's okay if you don't want to reply, I totally get it because it's probably really awkward, and you probably get confessions all the time, but uh, yeah, I like you."

Jae rambled, rarely taking any breaths or pauses between all the words that just spewed out of his mouth. His gaze stayed at the Converse, refusing to look up but after a few seconds that felt like hours had passed, he decided to slowly look up.

Jae wanted to punch himself in the face when he finally looked up, and was greeted with a familiar face, but it wasn't Sungjin's.

Instead, before the tall senior, stood another student in his grade, slightly shorter but relatively tall himself. He was displaying a slightly awkward and uncomfortable smile, while he scratched the back of his neck.

Jae recognized him, though.

The boy currently in front of him, wasn't his unrequited crush of about 1 year, Park Sungjin, but instead was a boy named Kang Younghyun who, coincidentally, was Sungjin's best friend. Most people in their school knew him as Brian, for God knows why. But, the reason he was so well known was because out of the 3 years he has attended high-school, he has never once accepted a confession from anyone.

People didn't see him as a bad guy or anything, considering he always rejected them nicely and apologetically, but not once has he ever dated or accepted a confession. No matter how pretty or dashing the person was, or no matter how many people thought they made a good couple, Brian politely declined every single confession. No one knew the reason why, considering he was extremely friendly and social, but that's just how things were.

"Uh," Brian started,

"I'm guessing this landed on the wrong desk?" he asked as he held out an unfolded airplane, Jae's neat writing of a confession exposed.

Jae, at a loss for words, simply stared at the extended hand.

Brian awkwardly cleared his throat, as Jae took that as a signal to grab the plane.

"Y-Yeah, sorry about that..."

Awkward silence took over,

"Well.." Brian broke it,

"This is slightly awkward." he said with a laugh.

Jae sat down on the grass as he ruffled his hair in frustration,

"God, this is embarrassing~" he whined, causing Brian to laugh even more.

"I mean, your aim was pretty close, just 1 desk off." Brian comforted as he sat down beside Jae,

"Haha, thanks." Jae said sarcastically,

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm extremely happy that your confession wasn't for me." Jae looked at him, slightly surprised to which Brian replied with a relieved smile and,

"Atleast I didn't have to turn down another confession."

"Oh, aren't things going amazingly for you?" Jae replied, laughing mainly at himself for this completely failed plan.

Silence took over again, but this time it was comfortable.

"So, my best friend, huh?" Brian asked, and Jae just nodded.

"Yes, your best friend that sits beside you, at the desk where _this_ " Jae held out the plane in Brian's face,

"stupid thing was supposed to land." he finished.

Brian opened his mouth to speak,

"And before you start bashing my aim, I will just say for the record that the window was open."

Brian held up his hands in surrender as an amused smile made its way to his face.

Jaehyung sighed and groaned,

"I can't believe this happened~"

"Maybe it was fate." Brian said,

"Oh, me confessing to you? Yeah, totally fate." Jae replied and Brian laughed lightly before explaining,

"No, I mean maybe life is giving you a second chance to confess to Sungjin. I mean, you said it yourself, you're not really close, so I honestly don't know how you would go from being almost strangers to being in a relationship." Brian nodded at his own advice before making eye contact with Jae,

"Use this chance to maybe get close to him first."

Jae thought for a while before concluding that Brian was right, and it would probably be easier to confess after he and Sungjin had developed a friendship of some sort.

"Then," Jae said with a sly smile to which Brian gave a slightly concerned yet curious face,

"Help me!"

Brian almost scoffed before saying,

"Excuse me, _help you_?"

"C'mon, you're his best friend! You're the one who suggested I get closer to him, so you should help me" Jae said

"What, no! Get close to him yourself-"

"Don't you feel bad for me?! I, a brave senior, just confessed all my feelings in a jumble of words only to look up and see someone that's not even my crush!"

"How is it my fault you have bad aim?!" Brian argued,

"I told you, the freakin' window was open!" Jae yelled back and hit Brian in the arm, as Brian just smiled at the whole situation.

"So, c'mon, dude just help me." the blonde asked sincerely this time, to which Brian caved in.

"Okay, fine."

Jae flashed Brian a bright, triumphant smile and threw his fist in the air in cheer.

The 2 settled back into comfortable silence, leaning on the school wall, looking up at the sky. It was a nice day, only within the first week of their senior year. The silence was cut off when Brian suddenly started laughing to himself,

"What, what's so funny?"

"I'm thinking about how Sungjin would've reacted to all of this." Brian said as his laughter increased,

"Hi, I was hoping that you could meet me after school, behind the gym. I have something I need to tell you-" Brian quoted Jae's words on the plane,

"Dude!" Jae yelled, and swung his arm to hit Brian in the arm, which Brian dodged and quickly got up.

"I was hoping the plane would find it's way to your heart~" Brian teased between his laughter, and began running once Jae had gotten up too.

"Shut up! No one else was supposed to read it!"

"I don't understand why you didn't put his name on it!"

Jae stopped running, and had a moment of realization.

"Oh my God, you're a genius."

Brian, who was now standing infront of the latter began laughing again.

"You laugh and smile a lot." Jae commented,

"Yeah, might as well enjoy the present. I don't like getting caught up in the trivial things, so I come off as carefree, which I honestly don't mind." Brian replied, once again with a smile.

It turns out to be contagious because Jae feels the corner of his lips tugging until a smile is on his own face.

"Okay, so Brian, can I assume you're helping me with Sungjin?" Jae asked as he extended his hand.

Brian looked at it for a while, before shaking it,

"Fine. But don't blame me if you get rejected." Brian joked.

And with a handshake, the two had suddenly become a duo whose mission was to set Jae up with Park Sungjin.

The next day at school, Jae was getting ready to eat lunch, when he heard someone call his name,

"Jae!"

He looked up from his homemade lunch to see Brian with a huge smile on his face, his arm extended and his hand waving,

"Come here!"

Jae's eyes widened when they strayed from Brian only to land on Sungjin, who was sitting beside Brian, a friendly smile on his face.

"U-Uh, it's okay, I'll just eat-"

"C'mon, don't be like that, come here!" Brian cut Jae off as he walked over, and took Jae by his arm and dragged him to the group.

"Dude, what the Hell, are we seriously starting this?" Jae whispered,

"The sooner we start, the better. Don't be awkward, and try not to stutter around him, just be cool. We haven't eaten lunch in here in a while, so you're welcome for coming up with a weird excuse." Brian replied just in time as they got to the group of boys who were getting ready to enjoy their lunch.

"Guys, this is my friend Jae. You guys wouldn't mind him joining us, right?"

Jae displayed a slightly awkward smile, which soon became natural as the boys nodded and welcomed him.

There was a seat between Brian and some other boy, which Jae was going to take, until Brian noticed, and then suddenly shifted over saying,

"Dowoon-ah, give me some of your cookies,"

which resulted in the only available seat being between Brian, and Sungjin.

Jae hesitantly took it, smiling awkwardly at Sungjin as Brian took a bite of a cookie, and smiled triumphantly at the situation beside him.

"So, Jae, these are the boys, Sungjin, Dowoon, Wonpil and Junhyeok." Brian introduced, pointing to each of them individually.

"Hi, I'm Jae," he said with a smile,

"How long have you known Brian?" Junhyeok asked, "Just a little bit curious, because I find it hard to believe he has any other friends than us," he concluded.

Brian threw a piece of food at Junhyeok, which he caught in his mouth

"I have other friends!" he said defensively, making the group laugh.

"We met this week, and we just clicked." Brian explained, and Jae was sincerely thankful that he was doing all of the talking.

"So, Jae, what do you like?" Jae stiffened at the familiar husky voice coming from his right. He quickly turned to face Sungjin, and Brian had to stiffle his laughter,

"U-Uh, I like planes." he replied,

"Planes?" Wonpil repeated,

"Yeah, just planes. I don't want to be a pilot or anything, but I'm just fascinated with them." Jae explained,

"Yeah, considering the flight of your paper airplane, I don't think you should be a pilot-" Brian commented, receiving a playful slap in the arm.

"Oh, that's really cool." Sungjin commented, and Jae couldn't help the size of his smile,

"How about you, Sungjin? What do you like?" Jae found himself asking, and Brian turned his attention to the conversation going on between Dowoon, Junhyeok and Wonpil.

"I like music a lot." he replied with a smile,

"Oh, do you sing?"

"Yeah, a bit. I play the guitar too,"

"You should sing for me some time!" Jae said before thinking, and he just awkwardly gaped at Sungjin.

They shared a few moments of eye contact, before Sungjin's eyes turned into happy crescents,

"Yeah sure, I wouldn't mind that."

Overhearing their conversation, Brian smiled and mentally gave himself a pat on the back for doing his job right.

The lunch proceeded to actually be quite comfortable, much to Jae's surprise. He ended up talking to everyone, even Dowoon who seemed really quiet and reserved, so Jae was proud of that.

"Jae!" Brian called out at the end of the day as they were exiting the school,

"Nice convo you had with Sungjin during lunch," he teased while he stuck out his tongue,

"Dude, why did you move? You literally made me sit right beside him, like couldn't you have been a little more subtle?" Jae argued, and Brian rolled his eyes,

"Oh, c'mon, shut up. You talked with him so naturally beside him, it would've been insanely awkward if you tried having a conversation with me in the middle," Brian said and Jae could feel himself blush,

"Well, I mean except for that stutter before you said planes."

"I hate you." Jae said,

"Okay, have fun trying to get Sungjin on your own," Brian said before walking away, only to be stopped by Jae's hand grabbing his wrist,

"No, I'm just kidding, you're my saviour." the latter said quickly, before laughing with Brian.

"Oh! Right, the reason I stopped you," Brian said before reaching into his pocket, pulling out his phone, and handing it to Jae

"Put your number in it, it'll be easier to plan things with you like this."

"Is the infamous rejector Brian Kang asking for my number?" Jae teased as he reached for the phone,

"Is the irritable Jae Park asking me to spill his secret to Sungjin?" Brian replied with an amused smile and Jae just kissed his teeth as he snatched Brian's phone,

"We met yesterday, and you're already mean to me."

"We met yesterday, and you're already using me to get to my bestfriend"

"Oh, c'mon. Am I ever going to win over you?" Jae asked, defeated as he handed Brian back his phone,

"You're supposed to win over Sungjin, not me." he replied, laughing. Jae gave him an unamused face,

"If you keep being so loud about it, he's gonna find out before we're even friends!"

"Okay, okay, sorry." Brian said and was about to say something else when they both heard a,

"Brian!" from up ahead.

The two looked towards the voice, even though Jae already went stiff just from the sound, and sure enough it was Sungjin, and the other boys.

"Yeah, I'm coming!" Brian yelled back before patting Jae on the arm,

"I'll text you later, and we'll plan something... Also, stop being so stiff around him" Brian said and Jae was going to reply but then suddenly crumbled when he saw Sungjin waving,

"Brian, you're so slow, hurry up. Bye Jae!" Sungjin said and Jae could only mutter what somewhat sounded like a "bye" to which Brian burst out laughing in reply.

"I'm coming!" Brian said through his laughter and he jogged to catch up to the boys.

Jae could only awkwardly wave and basically gape at Sungjin's radiant smile, and watch as Brian caught up, swinging his arm around the boy who Jae remembers as Junhyeok.

* * *

Jaehyung was sitting at his desk, doing some homework while listening to music. His music suddenly stopped, and he checked his phone to see a text message from an unknown number,

**(647)-***-****: yo, boy who's in love with my best friend!**

and Jae doesn't need to think twice before concluding it's Brian, and saves his number accordingly,

**Jae: you're so annoying, i should've asked wonpil or dowoon.**

Brian gets Jae's text and laughs as he types up a reply,

**burger kang: as if you had the guts to talk to either of those guys... plus they'd probably reject you.**

**jaepark: no they wouldn't they're nice**

**burger kang: because i introduced you to them.**

**jaepark: you have nothing to do with them being nice, if anything you'd make them mean, like you**

**burger kang: let's see if they're as nice to you as i am when they find out you're only friends with us cause of sungjinnnn**

Brian teases and Jae wants to punch him in the face, but knows he can't do that from a 5.5inch screen.

**jaepark: you know, i can get you suspended for all this blackmail.**

**burger kang: LOL ok ok. i'll stop**

Jae goes to type a, "thank you" but then another text rings in,

**burger kang: for now.**

**jaepark: i will block your number, brian.**

Brian doesn't text him back, but instead Jae's screen is occupied by the notification of an incoming call from 'burger king'. Jae answers and Brian starts talking first,

"I got tired of typing and I refuse to tire out my thumbs for you."

"You sound gross over the phone," Jae says and he hears Brian's laugh on the other line.

It's carefree, and relaxed, and Jae wonders if Brian has no worries in his life.

"Anyway~" Brian basically sings,

"So how was your talk with Sungjin?"

"You heard all of it!" Jae yells, and Brian laughs again,

"Yeah, I know. But I meant like, how do you feel about it? About him?"

"His voice sounds a lot more attractive up close" Jae says immediately and Brian lets out an

"Ooo~" before laughing along with Jae.

"Man, he's so cute- did you see his smile?!" Jae starts fangirling

"Yeah, his smile is nice but his laugh is so ugly, it's hilarious."

"Nothing about him is ugly" Jae retaliates and Brian says,

"Wait until you make him laugh. Okay, so what else?"

"He told me he loves music,"

"Oh, yeah he definitely does. He's an amazing singer and guitarist," Brian informs and Jae only gets more excited and somewhat brag,

"He said he wouldn't mind singing for me one day"

"Oh, I'm so jealous~ Jae gets a personal serenade~" Brian teases and Jae just kisses his teeth in annoyance

"Okay, so we should make a game plan." Brian says and Jae suddenly becomes scared

"Hold up," Jae interrupts.

"We gotta lay down some rules first"

"Rules?" Brian says through his laughter

"Yes, definitely. Especially since you're my partner in crime."

Jae has known Brian for maybe a good 72 hours. And that's maybe.

But they're already talking to comfortably that Jae sometimes feels like they've been friends for years. It's a nice, comforting feeling. But because they're so comfortable with each other, and Jae has already experiences much of Brian's teasing, he concludes that he needs to be careful that Brian doesn't make him do anything embarrassing.

"Number one," Jae starts and Brian cuts him off

"Hold on, why do you get to make the rules?"

"Because I'm the loser who might end up heartbroken by the end of this" Jae reasons

"At least you've accepted it" Brian says.

"Of course I've accepted it" Jae replies and continues on,

"I'm pretty realistic, and rational. I know there's a chance I won't get him, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up. Then again, I'm also a hormone driven teenage boy who's asking you to get me with your best friend"

Brian's quiet for a while and Jae concludes it's because his previous words were probably the most serious words they've shared.

"So, what's rule number one?" Brian changes the subject and Jae just goes along with it.

"Number one, no making me do things that aren't necessary" he states

"Elaborate"

"Basically, no making me look stupid in front of him, by telling me it'll help my cause just for your own benefit"

"Aw c'mon, you're taking the fun away from my part" Brian says,

"I mean, if you think about it, I don't get any benefits from helping you." he makes a point and Jae decides to say,

"You get to be my friend" and Brian just laughs,

"Geez, how beneficial."

"You're welcome in advance" Jae jokes around,

"Okay, so then number two is?"

"What I wanna do when I see your face" Jae says and hears Brian laugh himself before threatening,

"I will call Sungjin right now, and tell him everything." and Jae laughs too, because for some reason he's unaware of, he trusts Brian to not do it.

"Okay, so number two is-"

"What you look like" Brian cuts him off and Jae says,

"Can you just let me continue?"

"You're the one who insulted me first, it was simply revenge." Brian explains and Jae simply scoffs with a smile before continuing on,

"Rule number two should be pretty obvious; no exposing me. Even if I piss you off or something, I trust you enough to not expose me"

"You trust me?" Brian asks, surprise evident in his voice,

"Well yeah, kind of too late to not trust you." Jae says, laughing.

"All right, then I guess your secret's safe with me. Fair warning though, I'll probably tease you about it."

"Oh really? Never would have guessed!" Jae replies, his sarcasm making Brian laugh.

"Okay, hurry up with the rules so we can devise a plan"

"Third and final one, for now, is whatever happens don't tell him you were helping me."

"That's a weird rule,"

"I don't want our scheming to ruin your friendship, so if I get exposed then just pretend like you had nothing to do with it."

"Rather noble of you," Brian continues,

"But I don't think you'll be exposed unless you have other friends you're telling about this,"

"Friends? What are those?" and Brian snorts

"Fine, I agree to these 3 rules, can we get to actual scheming now?"

"You sound rather excited,"

"I like mischief," and his words are supported by an evil chuckle. 

"Gross,"

"Gross" Brian mocks and they both laugh.

They talk for almost 3 hours, not that the plan took that long but different topics of conversation kept coming up and neither of them offered to hang up. The call only ends because Brian forgot to eat dinner and Jae could hear his mom calling for him in the background.

Jae continues his homework, and is excited for the next day of school.


	2. Check In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @zenkrcovers  
> kakao: zenaya  
> feel free to contact me on either of those! I'm friendly and enjoy conversation hehe :D

"Good morning!" Jae says brightly, surprising the group of Junhyeok, Dowoon, Wonpil and most excitingly to Jae, Sungjin. They all give him a friendly smile.

"Morning Jae," Sungjin replies first and Jae's so happy that he remembers his name that he doesn't hear the rest of the greetings.

They're walking to class and Jae's actually fitting in to their conversation pretty well. Ever since he got into high school, Jae was never one to have many friends or a distinctive group he was associated with. He was friendly and rather social when the time called for it, but he never really had a crew or a group of friends like Brian's. That's part of why he grew to like Sungjin - he always made the people around him smile and laugh. Part of Jae wishes he could do the same.

Jae doesn't talk to just Sungjin and actually gets to know the rest of them a bit more, finding out they all play instruments. He decides it's a fitting time to mention he plays guitar too, and after they talk briefly about the idea of having a jam session, they talk about the homework from last night.

"Hey, where's Brian?" Jae asks when they're all in their seats, waiting for class to start.

"I was just about to ask that," Junhyeok replies and adds,

"He usually meets us on the slope on the way to school,"

"Maybe he slept in," Dowoon suggests,

"Yeah, probably" and they laugh before settling down as the school bell rings.

Halfway through first period, Brian's still not there and a knock draws the attention of the whole class.

"Sorry to interrupt Mr. Lee," one of the guidance counsellors of their school says and continues,

"Kang Younghyun is late because of an incident that has been handled accordingly," Jae doesn't listen to the rest as his attention is fixed on Brian, standing behind the counsellor. His hair disheveled, and his expression grim.

After the counsellor is done informing Mr. Lee, Brian walks in and silently walks to his seat, and as he draws closer Jae notices a bit of blood on the corner of his mouth. Jae's worried but finds relief when Brian makes eye contact and gives him a bright smile, and he watches as he quietly greets the rest of the boys.

Jae's eyes are focused on the board for the same amount of time as they are on the bruises on Brian's knuckles.

When lunch comes, the boys get up to go to wherever they go everyday and Jae doesn't mind it and simply gets his lunch. He's about to start eating when he notices the group waiting at the door,

"Jae, what're you doing?" Brian says and Jae just looks at them confused,

"C'mon, let's go,"

"Are you sure?" he asks and they laugh,

"Yes, you loser, come on," and Jae almost trips on his own feet in excitement as he gets up to follow them.

Brian's beside him, slightly behind the 4 others, and Jae's just following their lead.

"You didn't say this in the plan yesterday,"

"We can't plan day-by-day, that's just impractical," Brian replies,

"We set a game plan, a rough guideline as to how this thing will play out. This is working on one the steps, becoming friends with him."

Jae just nods, and wonders if it's okay to ask about his hand and face. Right when he's about to, Brian pats him on the back,

"C'mon, let's walk with them, you can't talk to him back here," and Jae just follows.

He doesn't know what he was expecting when they arrived at the place they go away for lunch, but it definitely wasn't the music room that was in front of him at the moment. 

"You guys come here everyday?"

"Yeah, the music teachers don't mind," Junhyeok replies as they all spread out around the room, each of them going to their usual spot.

Jae's still standing at the doorway,

"Are you sure you guys are okay with me being here?"

"You weren't this cautious this morning," Wonpil teases and Brian says,

"This morning?"

"Yeah, he replaced you because you didn't show," Sungjin says as Jae sits on the floor in the middle of the room.

"Jae, there's a bunch of chairs,"

"Yeah, but I'm right under the skylight here" Jae replies with a content smile and Brian shrugs before going to defend himself,

"I didn't show because of this!" he says, raising his bruised fist and pointing at the corner of his mouth.

"Oh yeah, what happened?" Dowoon asks,

" _Oh yeah_?" Brian echoes, offended,

"You guys aren't worried?" he looks around and scoffs at them just eating their lunches.

"I mean, I don't see a black eye or your head bleeding, so..." Wonpil says before taking a sip of his iced tea,

"Wow, you guys suck..."

"Whatever, get to the story," Sungjin says and they laugh as Brian rolls his eyes and takes an angry bite of his food.

"Some ass in second year was beating up a first year," his serious tone makes them focus,

"Why?"

"I don't know, but he was swinging pretty hard. Poor kid was on the ground, helpless," Brian shakes his head as he recalls the event this morning,

"What pissed me off the most was the people just watching, so I get in between them and then his friends join in. I take out the main guy and his friend before Ms. Im comes by and breaks us up, yelling at me that violence doesn't resolve anything," he scoffs,

"If they took care of bullying at this school, I wouldn't need to meddle and resort to violence, but whatever."

Jae's looking at Brian in awe, he likes learning things about him and he wonders what else he'll learn about the boys around him. 

"How noble of you," Junhyeok says with a smirk,

"Oh~ Our Kang Bri as someone's knight in shining armour?" Sungjin joins in

"I give the kid a week before he confesses to you,"

Jae doesn't feel close enough to him to tease Brian, and frankly he wouldn't want to. He admires the fact that Brian had the guts to do what he did, and he wonders how he would be if he had a knight in shining armour like Brian before. 

"Oh, a Boeing 777" Jae says, looking up through the skylight, interrupting the light hearted bickering. They quickly make their way to Jae's side, all looking up just in time to catch a plane fly across the small window. Jae tenses up at Sungjin being so close,

"You can tell what kind of plane that is?" Sungjin asks and Jae gets flustered, only noticeable to Brian.

"Yeah," he says sheepishly,

"Kind of lame, right?"

"No, that's actually pretty cool," Wonpil assures and adds,

"But how?"

"The Boeing 777 is distinguishable due to its 6 wheels and 2 more on the nose,"

"Why would a plane need 8?" Brian asks,

"An Antonov An-225 has 16," Jae replies and they laugh at the random fun fact. Jae loves Sungjin's laugh and how close it sounds and wonders how long he'll be able to stay at his side.

The rest of lunch goes by and the group talks, Sungjin picks up a guitar and plucks a few strings and Jae just watches with an admiring smile to which Brian notices and snorts. 

"So, why do you guys come here?" Jae asks,

"Honestly, we could never eat in peace because Brian had so many people coming up to him to confess. So, we come here and it's not a secret or anything but too many people would come by the class and ask for him,"

"Geez, you're popular" Jae says and Brian shakes his head,

"I don't get why," Dowoon says and they laugh.

"I think at this point they just wanna see who can get with him," Junhyeok says,

"Like, 'my friend got rejected but I didn't' type of thing, so whoever's confession Brian accepts it's kind of like winning the lottery,"

"So, they don't necessarily like Brian, they like the idea of Brian liking them?" Jae sums up and Brian nods,

"Sounds pretty accurate."

As they're walking back to the classroom, Jae and Brian lag behind again and Jae takes the time to ask,

"Are you okay?"

"Hm?" Brian responds, confused,

"Your face and hand,"

"Oh," he sounds surprised,

"Yeah, I'm okay, this is nothing. Thanks for asking,"

"You know, I think it's really cool that you did that,"

"Nah, just did what anyone else would do,"

"No, trust me, barely anyone would do what you did..." and Brian decides not to question Jae's sad smile.

"Hey, you wanna call and do homework after school?"

"Can't, got detention,"

"You got detention? For beating up a bully?"

"Apparently, as a senior I should've 'used my words instead of my fists'" Brian quotes with a roll of his eyes.

"Ridiculous,"

"Yeah, go tell that to Ms. Im so you can join me in cleaning the windows of the school." he suggests with a bright smile and Jae lightly shoves him.

"See what the boys are doing after classes though," he says, 

"Sometimes we go get food or hang out at someone's place,"

"I can't do that without you," Jae says, panicked at the thought of being with the group without Brian,

"You did it this morning apparently," Brian replies and Jae admits defeat,

"That was different. I thought you were gonna show up eventually, and it wasn't for that long."

"If you want our plan to succeed, you gotta do it without me as your chaperone."

"Not yet, I literally got introduced to them yesterday," and Brian can't argue with fact.

They get back to class just before Mr. Yoo walks in to start history.

Once the end of the day bell rings, the group meets up before sending Brian off to detention, laughing at his futile attempts of asking them to stay and help. 

"So, where do you wanna eat, Jae?" Sungjin suddenly asks, and Jae looks up with wide eyes, confused.

"Me?" and the group nods,

"A-Are you sure it's okay I tag along? Brian's not here-"

"Are you only Brian's friend?" Wonpil asks, with a teasing smile,

Friend. Jae thinks, and smiles sweetly at the word. Right, this is a part of the plan.

"I eat everything so I don't really care," Jae finally says and doesn't expect a cheer from Dowoon,

"Great, that means it's my turn to pick!"

"You pick the same thing everytime" Junhyeok groans,

"Convenience store ramyeon and that melon milk is the best." he states as fact and they make their way to the nearest convenience store.

Jae participates in the various conversations, but his mind is elsewhere. This is his first time hanging out with friends outside of school, and he can't help but feel thankful. His heart feels warm at the thought of belonging to a group - finally. Then he wonders if they would still be his friend if they found out about the plan.

They decide to eat outside, and their laughs are loud as they start talking more about themselves. The 4 assure Jae that he's sincerely welcome in their group, and to stop worrying and asking permission to be around them. They exchange social media and numbers, and Jae can't hide his excitement, but he succeeds in calming his shaking hands as he hands his phone to Sungjin to input his information. They talk about how they know each other, a bit about their past and even Jae ends up sharing a small part of his past. About 2 hours of laughter and teasing go by before they part ways, complaining about the homework they've been aside and Sungjin saying he probably won't even do it. 

Brian rubs his shoulder with a pained groan as he exits the school, cursing under his breath.

"Tired?" Brian looks up, surprised to see Jae waiting at the top of the slope. He tosses him a melon milk which Brian catches successfully,

"Dowoon chose today?" he asks, stabbing the straw through and taking a sip, and Jae responds with a nod.

"Why're you here?"

"Felt bad that we got food without you, so I brought that" Jae answers and they start walking down the slope.

"Also, I just wanted to update you on progress," and Brian chuckles,

"You don't have to report to me everyday, Jae."

"Yeah but, still... We sat beside each other at the convenience store," he says with a bashful smile and Brian laughs, shaking his head.

"You really like him, huh?"

"Now that I'm actually talking to him, yeah.. Before it was just a crush without reason, but as I'm getting to know him, I'm finding more things I like about him."

"Good for you," Brian says and jokes,

"Wouldn't want you bored halfway through the game plan."

As they're walking down the slope, they spot someone waving at them and it takes Brian a second to realize who it is before waving back with a small smile.

"Who's that?" Jae whispers,

"The kid I saved," and Jae notices how beat up his face is. His glasses are crooked, his cheek crusted with a bit of blood and his lip busted. 

"Get home safely," Brian says to him and the boy stiffens at his words before bowing grateful,

"Y-You too!" is his response.

Brian just nods and continues walking with Jae,

"Thank you!" he says, and Brian smiles, walking up to him before ruffling his hair,

"Don't worry about it, Seungmin," lowering himself slightly so they're eye to eye,

"If he tries bothering you again, don't hesitate to find me, okay?" 

And the poor kid can only nod as his face gets red. With a pat on his head, Brian rejoins Jae and they continue walking home.

After a couple of minutes of comfortable silence, Jae says,

"You know, I think I get why so many people confess to you," and upon looking at Brian's confused face, he elaborates,

"You're nice and you care. You just ruffled his hair like it was nothing, and offered connection in the future,"

"I think you're reading too much into it," he replies with a scoff,

"Either that or you're just not careful with your actions,"

"Hey," Brian starts,

"All I did was stop an asshole from beating up an innocent kid. All I did was ruffle his hair because he was clearly nervous. All I did was let him know that he has someone on his side if it happens again." 

Jae's surprised at how stern he sounds, and tries to lighten the tension with a chuckle that comes out strained and awkward,

"Still.. Can't blame them for liking you,"

"No one should blame anyone for feelings," he says,

"So why haven't you accepted a single confession, even for fun?" 

Brian chuckles, as if impressed Jae asked,

"Watch yourself," he warns and Jae raises an eyebrow,

"Can't give away all of my mystery on the second day of knowing you."

They walk for a bit longer before they split up, realizing that they live quite close to each other.

"You live close to Sungjin," Brian says,

"What, really?!" he asks, excited, and Brian's laughing,

"Nah, I'm just kidding. He's my neighbour," and Jae pouts.

"Invite me over sometime?" he suggests with a playful wink and Brian says,

"Noted, I'll add that to the plan." and they say goodbyes.

The days pass by and gradually Jae feels more natural in the group, and he's stopped asking to join them. Now during lunch, they all sit on the floor under the skylight in hopes a plane flies by so they can test Jae's knowledge. He now joins in teasing Brian, and chooses where to eat after school, his choice being various street food nearby. 

One at lunch, they're talking about the upcoming project that's due the following week and how'll they'll split up in terms of partners when an announcement cuts off their rock, paper, scissors game.

"Students of InJoon High!" an excited voice comes through the PA,

"Join us this Friday night and watch fellow students perform at the school festival! Come for a fun night of food, games and music!"

They confirm that they're all going to the festival before resuming their rock, paper, scissors game.

As Jae's luck would have it, he gets paired with Sungjin as they both throw out rock. Brian and Wonpil throw out paper while Dowoon and Junhyeok put out scissors.

"That was easy," they say, satisfied with their partners.

They all said they didn't care who they end up with, which is why they played the game in the first place. Jae would never admit that he was hoping he'd get Sungjin, and after being confirmed partners, he couldn't stop smiling.

"Told you he puts out rock," Brian says on the phone that night,

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Jae cheers into the phone and Brian just laughs,

"Hey, that's what I'm here for, right?"

"Still, thank you... I'm going over to his house next week to work on it," he says with an excited squeal,

"Geez, okay Jae!" he teases,

"I can't believe this is actually happening... Who would've thought I'd actually partner with my crush," and Brian can hear the smile in his words.

"Me, 'cause I'm a genius planner and I get things done." he replies, giving himself a mental pat on the back.

"Oh and!" Jae starts, 

"He told me I should watch him perform on Friday. I mean, I'm sure he invited everyone else obviously, but still, it made me so happy,"

"Yeah, I could tell," 

The rest of their phone call consists of Jae talking about Sungjin and Brian telling stories of the most memorable confessions, little details about Sungjin that would be good to know and Jae asking about Seungmin. When they hang up, Jae just stares up at his ceiling, simply waiting for the day he goes cover to Sungjin's place. He thrashes in his bed and laughes at himself for being so lame, and after lightly slapping himself in the face, he gets to doing the homework for the night.

Friday arrives quickly, and the school day is rather light as teachers are aware of the festival that evening. The boys are discussing what they're going to wear, Sungjin's song choice, who will win the most prizes and what time they shoud meet up. 

When they meet up later, Jae is almost amazed at how good Sungjin looks - how good everyone looks, actually. He had only seen them in their uniforms, so seeing how their dress on a regular was like finding out a fact about them. Jae was in a sweatshirt with light ripped jeans, a hat on to top everything off. Sungjin was in black ripped jeans, paired with a white t-shirt underneath a blue and white striped dress shirt, his guitar case on his back and his hair styled upwards. Brian was in black jeans with a white t-shirt and light jean jacket. Junhyeok sported a light pink t-shirt tucked into black pants, Wonpil was in an oversized sweater and black jeans with a backwards black baseball cap, and Dowoon in an all black outfit, his white hat backwards like Wonpil's

.Jae never really went to their school's festivals, he'd rather stay home and finish up homework or get ahead on a few readings. But this time, his friends invited him out. This time, he had friends to go with. So this year he left his books behind, and his smile is genuine as he looks around at the other smiling faces at his side.

"What time are the performances?" Jae asks,

Sungjin looks at his watch,

"They're in like an hour," he replies, 

"So we got time for food," Sungjin says excitedly, and with that the boys' set off into the festival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will probably update this daily until it catches up to the one posted on AFF :) please leave any comments, I love reading them and reply to every one!


	3. Boarding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @zenkrcovers | kakao: zenaya  
> feel free to contact me on either of those! I'm friendly and open to conversation!

"Let's get corndogs," Sungjin suggests to Jae after they've split up to order food so that they have lots of choices when they meet up shortly after.

"Okay, we can buy one for each of the guys," Jae replies and Sungjin nods.

They didn't necessarily need to be in partners, as the others went off individually, but upon Jae saying this was his first school festival, Sungjin offered to stay with him and he wasn't going to refuse.

"I'll get them," Jae says and doesn't give Sungjin time to object.

He orders 6 corndogs and holds 4 while Sungjin takes the other 2. 

"Want a bite?" Sungjin asks, extending one in front of Jae's mouth and he bites it, hoping the neon lights of the festival hide his blushing. 

"Thank you," he tries to say but it's muffled by the corndog and Sungjin just laughs. 

"I could've taken a bite of one of these," Jae points out and Sungjin shrugs, replying,

"It was easier because I only have one in each hand because _someone_ didn't let me pay for them or carry 3,"

"You have your guitar case!"

"On my back!"

They approach the table, laughing and bickering, and Brian wears a proud smile as he takes his corndog from Jae,

"You guys took a while,"

"You texted me like 2 minutes ago," Jae says, narrowing his glare at Brian, and Sungjin says,

"Jae paid for the corndogs so we had to wait because I refused to come empty handed, so I got the rice cakes skewers,"

They all sit down and share the foods each of them bought. They laugh at Jae dropping his corndog, praise Brian for giving him the rest of his, and talk about what they should bet on for the carnival games. Jae doesn't stop smiling the whole time, his smile only getting wider when Sungjin laughs with him, or leans in to talk to him. Sungjin leaves first, saying he has to head to the stage as performances will be starting soon. The group goes into the crowd together, sitting on the grass, waiting for the performances to start. 

When the performances start, Brian says he has to go to the bathroom and Jae warns that he might miss Sungjin's performance, to which he replies that he's heard Sungjin's voice enough times. 

Although Jae is thoroughly enjoying each performance, he can't deny that he's waiting solely on Sungjin's. Each time a performance ends and the emcee introduces the next act, he waits for that familiar name to be called.

And when it does, he cheers louder, smiles wider and waves bigger. Jae's eyes widen when Sungjin gives a smile and small wave back and his attention on Sungjin adjusting the guitar strap is interrupted when Wonpil laughs at him, 

"Excited?" he asks, and Jae's nod causes Wonpil to smile.

"Oh right, this'll be the first time you hear him sing,"

"Yeah"

Wonpil shrugs with a dissatisfied expression,

"I mean, he's okay," he says with a roll of his eyes, but breaks out into laughter with Jae.

"Just kidding, he's amazing," Wonpil comments with a blissful smile, his eyes on Sungjin and Jae looks at Wonpil for a few more seconds before turning his attention to the stage just in time for Sungjin to start strumming.

Jae watches with his mouth agape, eyes not leaving Sungjin for a moment. He enjoyed Sungjin's raspy voice on a regular, but the grain in his voice stood out so much more when he was singing. Paired with the acoustic guitar, Sungjin's voice caused Jae to freeze. Not necessarily because of his crush, but simply because of the sound, the rawness, the way it made Jae want to hear it everyday. 

When Sungjin finishes with a big smile and small bow, the crowd erupts in cheers. Jae doesn't scream like he thought he would, but just claps as his smile grows wide. As time seems to revert to its original speed, that's when Jae starts cheering with the rest of the boys, even standing up after Junhyeok and Dowoon did, followed by Wonpil. Sungjin joins them after grabbing his guitar case, and sits down. They praise and compliment him as the next peformer goes on. Amidst the shower of compliments, Jae notices Brian did indeed miss Sungjin's performance and still wasn't back yet.

"Where's Brian?" he says, scanning the surrounding area like a meerkat,

"Oh, he's backstage," Sungjin says, surprising the group.

"What?" and before Sungjin can explain, the emcee introduces the next performer as Kang Younghyun. 

The group immediately turns to the stage as Brian walks on with a shy smile, an acoustic guitar comfortably strapped around him.

"Whose guitar is that?" Jae says, not recalling Brian bringing a case,

"His," Dowoon answers, but he sounds just as confused as Jae. 

"Hey everyone," Brian says into the mic, introducing Lost Stars as the song he's about to perform, and ends off with,

"Hope you guys enjoy, and sing along if you know the song!"

Jae doesn't know what he was expecting, but Brian's voice is so colourful - that's the best way he can describe it. His voice is low and deep, some lyrics sound grainy while others highlight the smoothness of his vocals. His range is incredible and Jae can't help but wonder how he sings so well, and why he didn't tell any of them. From Jae's knowledge gathered from lunches in the music room, he thought Brian could only play the bass and he definitely did not know he could sing. Yet there he was, strumming away on an acoustic guitar as his voice serenades the crowd. 

When he finishes, the crowd goes wild, his popularity only increasing with this surprising showcase of talent. He says a quick thank you before going off stage. The group enjoys the rest of the performances, and when they're over, Jae says that he's going to go find Brian. 

He searches for a couple of minutes before finding him, recognizing his outfit, but before he gets to call out his name, Jae realizes he's talking to someone. He lowers the hand he was going to use to wave Brian down, and slowly approaches them, recognizing the boy in front of Brian.

Seungmin is staring at Brian's shoes, and Jae's just close enough that he hears the slightly trembling,

"I-I like you."

Jae stops, knowing he's heard something he probably shouldn't have, and although he wants to run away, he finds himself unmoving and listening. He watches as Brian scratches his nape, and ruffles his hair before sighing.

"Seungmin, I'm sorry..."

"It's okay," his response surprises both Jae and Brian,

"I wasn't expecting you to reciprocate, I just wanted to tell you."

Brian's quiet for a bit,

"Thank you." he says, finally,

"I appreciate your feelings, but I can't accept them." 

Jae watches as Seungmin nods, a sad smile on his face as he says,

"Thank you for being at my side," 

Jae decides that he should really leave now, not wanting to eavesdrop and spy any further, and quickly finds his way back to the group. 

"Where's Bri?" Junhyeok asks,

"Couldn't find him," Jae replies, shrugging.

"Oh, there he is" Wonpil says, and the group turns to see him walking towards them with his guitar case on his back.

"Why didn't you tell us you were performing!" Wonpil immediately asks, and the group joins in with the teasing praises, that Brian brushes off with a roll of his eyes. 

"Some kid on the list couldn't come in, so they asked me earlier today,"

"Yeah, but your guitar?"

"I drove here and left it with the volunteers before I met you guys," he explains.

They compliment him a bit longer before setting out to play some games and win prizes. 

Jae and Brian are walking side by side when Jae says,

"You were amazing tonight."

"Thanks," Brian replies with a shy laugh,

"Why didn't you tell me you could sing?"

"It never came up in conversation, plus it's not that relevant."

"Well, you're incredibly talented." Jae says,

"Seriously, like I would love to hear you sing again."

"Thanks, Jae..." he replies with a content smile.

"Jae, you said you'd play with me earlier!" Sungjin yells from up ahead, waiting in front of a game stall, and Jae laughs as he jogs towards him after sharing a sly look with Brian.

The rest of the night goes by with a group competition at ring toss with Junhyeok wins, Dowoon pulling a close second. They move on to play a bunch of games, accumulating lots of prizes although they're concerned about the internal competition. Popping balloons with darts, skee ball, fishing for rubber ducks - Sungjin, Wonpil and Jae each win a fish at that stall - watergun race game, even an inflatable obstacle course which Brian beats Jae, Sungjin beats Wonpil and Dowoon beats Junhyeok. The winner of that internal tournament was Dowoon, beating Brian in the final run through just by a couple of seconds. 

The amount of prizes they've won is becoming a hassle as they walk around, so they agree that they should leave soon. Before they leave, Brian says he wants to play the basketball game, and ends up winning 2 prizes. He tosses one to Jae after he says how much he wants the huge teddy bear, and keeps the large stuffed panda, hugging it as they walk slowly to the exit.

They're talking about how much fun tonight was, asking Jae's opinion on his first festival experience, and discussing what their weekend plans are but Brian's distracted. Jae notices that Brian's searching the crowd, not even participating in the conversation, and he finds himself watching Brian until his eyes light up along with a small smile and he turns to the group,

"Hey guys, I'll be right back, I'll meet you at the slope,"

and they don't think much of it but Jae's eyes follow him as Brian jogs to meet Seungmin. He notices Seungmin's expression brighten and that's all he sees before looking away and walking to the slope.

They don't wait long before Brian comes jogging back to them, 

"Let's go?" he suggests, and Sungjin eyes him,

"Where'd your panda go?"

"Oh, must've dropped it or something," Brian replies, scratching his head as if confused himself. 

"How do you lose a huge panda?" Wonpil asks, laughing at Brian's clumsy action, and Brian just laughs accompanied with a shrug.

"Okay, Junhyeok, who do you wanna take?" he asks, changing the subject.

Although they met up separately, they knew Junhyeok and Brian drove and therefore that's their way home.

"I'll take the usual, you take Sungjin and Jae"

"Alright," 

Jae sits in the passenger seat while Sungjin sits in the back. The ride home is rather quiet, Brian humming along to the radio at times, while Jae just looks out the rolled down window, feeling the breeze and wearing a content smile. 

"Had fun tonight?" Brian says once he notices Jae's smile,

"Yeah, lots. Thanks for inviting me out," he replies,

"Of course," Sungjin joins in,

"Kinda sucks that this was your first and last school festival,"

And that reminds Jae that they're graduating. Granted, it's still early in the school year, but that time is approaching. 

"Yeah I feel the same," Jae says and sighs,

"If only I met Brian sooner." and the two share a knowing look and Brian just laughs.

"Bye Jae!" Sungjin says when they get to his house, and Jae waves with a huge smile, 

"Oh, text me what you name your fish!" Sungjin adds and Jae just nods.

Brian makes sure he gets inside safely and drives off, getting him and Sungjin home in one piece. Sungjin says thanks for the ride before they do their handshake that's been a tradition for years and go inside their respective houses.

Jae places his new fish in a bowl after showing it off to his parents who were thrilled that he was going to the festival for once. He stares at it from his bed, contemplating on what to name it. After a couple of minutes, he sends a text,

**Jae Park: bungbung!**

Sungjin's phone buzzes and he taps Jae's message, and smiles as he types reply

**Sungjin: what? lol**

**Jae Park: that's what i'm naming my fish lmfao**

**Sungjin: oohhhh!**

**Sungjin: that's cute**

**Jae Park: it's a rather round fish and the bubbles it makes resemble bungbung :'D**

**Sungjin: that's adorable, idk what to name mine yet**

**Jae Park: what does it look like?**

**Sungjin: you dont remember?! :O i'm offended**

**Jae Park: do you know what bungbung looks like?!**

**Sungjin: round LOL**

Jae laughs at the response, quickly typing back

**Jae Park: fake fan tsk tsk**

**Sungjin: LOL mine looks like this**

Jae waits to receive the photo, but when it goes through he squeals and smiles. Sungjin sent a selfie with the fish in the background, imitating the fishy lips.

_So friggin' cute_. Jae thinks to himself, tempted to save the photo but decides against it. He replies,

**Jae Park: gross, what aquatic abnormality is that on the left?**

Sungjin snorts at the response, and types

**Sungjin: im blocking you lmfaoo**

They talk like this back and forth for a while until Sungjin says he's tired and wants to sleep to which Jae reluctantly lets him go, saying good night, but smiles like crazy when Sungjin ends the conversation with,

**Sungjin: good night ^_^ today was fun!**

Jae lets out a blissful sigh and stares up at his ceiling, smiling as he recalls Sungjin's performance, his smile while playing the games, and his selfie with his fish which still hasn't been named. He decides he should take a shower, and once he's done and back in bed, he sends Brian a text.

**jaepark: today was surreal man**

**burger kang: my performance? yeah ik, thanks**

**burger kang: LOL jk**

**jaepark: yeah, that too actually**

**burger kang: lies**

**jaepark: no seriously, you were amazing**

Brian smiles at his phone before typing up his reply,

**burger kang: but your boy tho?? geeez**

**jaepark: omg i know he was amazing**

Jae sends a GIF of a cartoon character sighing with hearts in its eyes and surrounding it,

**burger kang: LOL lameeee**

Brian's surprised when his screen displays an incoming call from Jae,

"Lemme guess, your thumbs were tired?" Brian says,

"Aw, you took my line," and the two laugh.

Jae tells Brian about the text conversation he just had with Sungjin, and talks about the little moments from tonight. When Brian finishes talking about how he felt on stage, Jae remembers the incident with Seungmin. He doesn't know if he should admit he saw, but he's curious and sincerely wants to tell Brian he admires what he did. So, he just vaguely says,

"Hey Bri, you were cool today."

"Okay, stop with the compliments, my performance wasn't that great," he says with a chuckle. Jae lets out a soft laugh and his hesitation makes him slowly say,

"I meant after your performance... and the panda."

The line gets quiet and Jae's scared that Brian's mad at him,

"How'd you know?" and Jae can't decipher the emotion in his words,

"I was looking for you after the performances, and I found you right when Seungmin..." and he doesn't continue once he hears Brian's

"Ah..."

It gets quiet again so Jae says,

"It was really cool and nice of you to give that to him."

"Yeah, I guess... Thanks." Brian replies with a small smile, thinking about Seungmin. 

"He had guts, have to admit it... He's probably the first person who's sincerely confessed in a while, so the panda was an apology gift, I guess,"

Jae nods and adjusts his position in bed,

"Have you ever confessed to anyone?" Jae asks,

"Yeah, in elementary but nothing came of that. How 'bout you? Other than that paper airplane that landed on my desk," he teases and Jae responds with laughter,

"That was my first time, couldn't you tell with the stutters?"

"I don't think you ever get used to that feeling though, regardless of confession experience. You're exposing your feelings to the person who already gives you butterflies, so it must be rough,"

"You say this from observing probably," and Brian can't deny it so they just laugh. 

"Has no one caught your eye throughout high school?" 

"No, not really... I mean, sometimes but never enough to make me confess."

"Must be nice... I liked Sungjin's face and I wrote a letter," Jae says, and Brian snorts, the noise making Jae laugh too.

"So is that why you reject everyone? You haven't liked anyone back yet?"

"Yeah, I guess... The way I see it is why would I accept their feelings if I can't reciprocate it? Like, people can tell me 'oh, just give them a try' but I don't see it that way,"

They continue talking about feelings, previous crushes and Brian even tells Jae about Sungjin's elementary crush. Their voices are softer and their laughs aren't as loud as their call stretches into the night, and Brian's whispering the story of how he met the boys when he hears a soft snore coming from the other line. He goes silent to verify if Jae really did fall asleep, and sure enough, he did. Brian smiles at his phone and looks at the time, surprised their call lasted over 2 hours. Before he hangs up he says a soft,

"Good night, loser,"

and ends the call before he hears Jae mumble an incoherent,

"Good night,"

Brian slowly exhales, his eyes closed and a content smile on his face. He thinks about Seungmin, and wonders if it was really a cool thing. His smile gets wider as he thinks of Jae hugging the huge teddy bear but quickly calms his heart that sped up slightly. He falls asleep quickly, tired from a long day and phone call. 

The boys meet on the slope on Monday morning and walk to class together, Sungjin announces that he's decided to name his fish Bob without any context and they just laugh. 

"He looks like a Bob," Sungjin reasons as they enter class and settle in their seats and they just laugh at the boy as the bell rings to start their day.

The day goes by horribly slow, at least to Jae, but that's just because he's waiting for the end of the day. The group is walking down the slope and get to the point where they usually split up and they say their goodbyes.

"See you soon!" Sungjin says and Brian smirks at Jae when he replies,

"Yeah, I'll text you when I'm close!"

"You guys gonna work on your project today?" Brian asks,

"Yeah, but I asked him to come a bit later 'cause I gotta clean," and Brian just nods.

Jae skateboards there and finds himself checking his reflection on his phone before hesitantly knocking after his little debate on whether he should knock or ring the doorbell. He hears footsteps approaching the door and tenses up as he hears it unlock and open to reveal a casual Sungjin, 

"Hey, come in!" 

and he awkwardly steps inside, and looks around,

"This is my house, my parents will probably be home in a few but until then it's just us and this project," he says with a smile.

"We can work on it in my room, so shall we get started then?" Sungjin says, already making his way up the stairs and Jae reluctantly follows him up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment any thoughts you have, I enjoy reading them!


	4. Waiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @zenkrcovers | kakao: zenaya  
> feel free to message me on either! I'm friendly lol :D

Jae treads carefully as he enters Sungjin's room, it's naturally illuminated by the window on the side and it's organized and neat.

"Do you wanna work on the floor or the bed?"

"The floor has more space, so we can sit there,"

"Ah, good point," Sungjin says and motions for Jae to sit down first,

"Make yourself at home" and Jae's heart swells at the smile Sungjin gives him, his eyes turning into crescents of happiness. Jae sits down and starts unpacking his bag, setting out the materials and books.

"One sec, I'll be back"

"Okay," and with that, Jae's left alone in Sungjin's room. He looks around again, catching little details in the decoration that displays Sungjin's personality. He notices the book shelf that's half books and half CDs, there's an acoustic guitar - different than the one he played at the festival - in the corner beside his bed. On top of his desk, which is under the open window, there's various yearbooks and educational books whose spines are worn from use. There's a cork board on the wall, positioned so it can be clearly seen from the desk and Jae notices calendar on it, smiling at the red pen that marks important test dates and other colours that probably represent other significant dates. On the cork board is a bunch of photos of Sungjin and the boys, he has some group ones and some of just him and someone else - Jae doesn't count the amount of photos of Sungjin and Wonpil. He smiles at the photos of younger Sungjin and Brian, and the smile gets wider as he notices how cute Brian was as a kid.

"You're not allergic to anything, right?" Sungjin interrupts Jae's observing,

"No, I'm good," he replies and watches as Sungjin settles down beside him, putting down a tray of various snacks, fruits and other things to munch on. Jae adjusts his glasses and just waits for Sungjin to say what to do next. 

Jae curses himself for being so nervous and awkward - they're supposed to be friends, and he knows that. He's spent time with Sungjin before, but there's something about being alone with him in his room that causes Jae to go quieter than usual, and he just hopes it isn't that obvious. 

"You okay?"

_Damn_. Jae immediately smiles and reaches for a strawberry and tosses it in his mouth,

"Yeah! We should probably get started," and Sungjin smiles and rolls up his sleeves and grabs his notebook.

Within a couple of minutes, Jae is pretty sure he's back to acting normal. They're laughing and joking around like usual, not much of their project is getting done but they're not worried. After getting barely any of their poster done, they decide to take a break and Sungjin sits on his bed while Jae decides to look around his room in closer detail. Sungjin's fooling around with his guitar as he watches Jae,

"Hi Bob," Jae says with a small wave, and his back is turned to Sungjin so he doesn't see the smile on his face. 

Jae continues walking around and he gets to the window, and he notices that although there is sunlight coming through, the house next door is rather close.

"That's Bri's house," Sungjin says, 

"Oh, I see..." Jae replies and turns to Sungjin,

"Have you guys always been neighbours?"

"Yeah, that's how we became friends actually, when they moved in, our parents were introducing themselves and us being kids decided to ditch the boring adult talk and go play in the nearby park," he reminisces with a fond smile,

"I saw your photos, you guys were so cute," he comments with a small laugh,

" _Were_?" 

Jae rolls his eyes with a scoff and laugh, and turns back to walk to the photos, pretty certain Sungjin didn't catch his cheeks that were quickly going pink.

"Yeah, not so sure about now..." Jae says and Sungjin laughs in response,

"Ouch."

"I mean Brian's cute, but you? Yikes..." Jae scratches the back of his head and while shaking it, taking the joke even further and Sungjin gasps in faux offense,

"Wow, is that why you can't look me in the eye for too long?" 

Jae almost chokes in surprise that Sungjin actually notices but manages to just nod while holding his expression as he quickly convinces himself that it was just to add to the joke. 

"Fine, fine, I get it - Brian's a cutie, that seems like the public opinion." and they just laugh as they hear the front door downstairs unlock,

"Oh, my parents are home," Sungjin says, putting the guitar back in its stand and getting up from the bed, heading out his room,

"Can I say hi?" Jae wants to slap himself for sounding so lame but smiles when Sungjin replies,

"Yeah of course, come down!" and he follows Sungjin down the steps,

"Hi Mom, Dad," Sungjin says and before he introduces Jae, his mom comments,

"Oh, hello! A new face," and Jae gives a bright smile with a small wave,

"This is my friend Jaehyung, we're working on a project,"

"Hi, I'm Jaehyung,"

"Hello," his mom says and his dad echoes, Jae awkwardly shaking his hand but makes up for it with his friendly smile,

"I'm so used to seeing the same boys over, so welcome Jaehyung!" he laughs lightly and replies,

"Thank you! And please, call me Jae," 

The parents make their way to the kitchen to put away the groceries, Sungjin's dad offers Jae something to drink to which he politely declines and tells Sungjin's mom Sungjin already gave him snacks when she asks him if he wants to eat anything.

"Oh Sungjin, introduce him to Brian," she says and continues, directing to Jae,

"That's his best friend, he lives right next door," 

"Mom, Brian is how I met Jae," Sungjin explains and she lets out an "Ah" of realization.

"Okay, we still have the project to finish, we'll be upstairs," Sungjin says and makes his way to the staircase, Jae in tow as he gives little bows and smiles to Sungjin's parents.

They're back to work upstairs in Sungjin's room, but they're barely working. 

Jae's more immersed in getting to know Sungjin more - his favourite colour, why he started playing the guitar, what food he doesn't' particularly like, his thoughts on school, what he wants to do in the future. Sungjin listens with interest when Jae talks about his love for seafood, his appreciation for stuffed toys and pillows, gaming, and his struggle with school - not academically, just socially. 

"So yeah, you guys are like my first real friends..." Jae admits, a sad smile on his face as he mindlessly plays with his eraser. 

"I'm glad you met Brian," Sungjin says, not looking Jae in the eye, focusing on Bob,

"Because of that, I met you," 

Jae tries to calm his heart but he decides to let it race - he's surpressed his blushing cheeks, his adoring smile, his flirty comments. So, he allows himself this one thing that Sungjin can't see, hear or notice in the slightest.

"Yeah, I'm really happy I met him..." Jae says, remembering how he met Brian in the first place. How far he's come from confessing to him to being in Sungjin's room, and it was thanks to Brian. 

"He's a great guy," Sungjin comments,

"I know our group always teases him and stuff, but he's a good person to have at your side," and there's something sad about his eyes.

"I know," and he does know. Jae's aware that not everyone would agree to helping some stranger get with their best friend, he knows that it probably takes someone special to do what Brian does.

Jae smiles at the memory of Brian giving him the teddy bear he sleeps beside,

"Hey this is random, but do you like anyone? Or have you?" 

Jae looks up at Sungjin in surprise and freezes at the question, wonders if he should lie and say no or just say yes and if Sungjin presses any further, don't say a name. Jae mentally shrugs and goes,

"Yeah,"

"Yeah you do or you have?"

As Jae opens his mouth to answer, they hear distant yet loud thuds followed by a slam. Jae gets up and looks out the window and sees Brian walking away from his house, his steps angry and pace quick. Sungjin's by his side and they both watch as Brian gets further away, 

"Yeah that... that happens sometimes..." Sungjin comments, awkwardly clearing his throat and quickly suggesting,

"We should get back to work," and Jae's eyes don't leave Brian as he replies,

"Okay."

Jae's distracted as they work on the project for multiple reasons. He's wondering how their conversation got so deep a couple of minutes ago, and he's wondering why Sungjin asked that question in the first place. He refused to let himself get his hopes up, and convinced himself that he was merely curious. He ignores his thoughts of Sungjin also liking someone at the moment, maybe it's Jae, maybe he was just making conversation. He wants to ask Sungjin but notices the atmosphere has changed and time for that topic has passed.

But his mind is also on Brian - where did he go, was he okay, what did Sungjin mean by that happens sometimes. 

"Jae?"

"Huh?" he admits to not listening and Sungjin just laughs,

"Should I glue it here, is this okay?" he repeats what Jae assumes he said before,

"Yeah, that looks fine."

They continue working, and as the minutes go by, the light coming in from the window no longer suffices and Sungjin turns on the light. Jae's been sitting at Sungjin's desk while the latter was on his bed, both of them agreeing that the floor wasn't that comfortable anymore. Throughout the evening, Jae catches himself looking out the window regularly to see if Brian has returned.

When the sun sets and it's getting darker, Jae begins to worry because he still hasn't seen Brian return. He wants to think that maybe he missed him, but he's looked regularly, and even kept the window open to hear if Brian's house door opens. Nothing.

He looks at the poster and is proud when he realizes a majority of it is already done,

"Hey, sorry I gotta get going," Jae says, surprisingly, starting to gather his stuff,

"I can do the rest of my part at home and bring it to class tomorrow, if that's okay?" he suggests,

"Yeah, that's cool, did something come up? Are you okay?" Sungjin asks and he smiles at the sweet concern,

"Yeah, I just remembered it's my turn to cook dinner tonight," is the best excuse Jae could think of in the moment.

"Oh okay, are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" 

"Next time, maybe?" Jae says, eyes slightening widening, realizing he just invited himself to Sungjin's house again, but Sungjin just smiles,

"I'm holding you on your word for next time," and with that, Sungjin helps Jae gather his things, and they clarify how much they have left to do which isn't much, both of them agreeing that they're practically done.

They head downstairs and see Sungjin's parents watching something, seated together on the couch.

"Oh Jaehyung, are you leaving?"

"Yes," he says with a smile,

"Thank you for having me,"

"Oh no, you didn't eat dinner yet, stay!" his mom says, quickly getting up from the couch,

"It's okay," he insists with an awkward chuckle,

"I can give you food to take home," and Jae laughs,

"I'm okay, thank you,"

"Next time you're over, we'll eat dinner together, okay?"

Jae smiles at the invitation for next time and nods,

"Yes, thank you!" 

Sungjin sees Jae out the door,

"Thanks for having me," he says,

"Of course, anytime. Thanks for being a great project partner," Sungjin says with a smile,

"Do you want me to walk you home?" he offers and Jae hushes his internal screaming. He wants to say yes so badly, he would probably even slow his pace just to prolong their time together, maybe even bring up the topic of conversation that was dropped as suddenly as it was picked up.

"It's okay, thank you!"

"Okay," and with that Jae gets his board and proceeds to walk away,

"Jae, text me when you get home! Get home safely," Sungjin says, waving and Jae waves back with an endearing smile,

"I will! Thanks again, Sungjin!"

Jae smiles and squeals at the day he just spent with Sungjin, completely forgetting that he was at school a couple of hours ago. After a small freak out, he gets on his board and sets out for the reason he rejected walking home with his crush.

He searches for a couple of minutes, keeping in mind that Sungjin mentioned there was a park nearby, and sure enough, that's where he finds Brian. 

He's on the swing set, eyes closed and barely moving, and Jae notices his earphones are in. He decides to take his seat on the slide, a fair distance from the swings, but still facing Brian.

"Hey," he says, not sure if it was loud enough but Brian slowly opens his eyes. 

They stare at each other and for the first time Brian doesn't immediately smile or make a smart comment.

"Are you okay?" Jae asks, and Brian looks away, his lack of an answer being one itself.

"I was at Sungjin's and I saw you walk away, and didn't see you come back..." he explains,

"It was getting dark and I was kinda concerned-"

"Jae, you can stop." Brian cuts him off, catching the latter off guard. Jae lets out a small,

"Huh?"

"You don't have to be concerned, why would you be?" his tone is strong yet tired, and Jae doesn't answer.

"I don't wanna talk about it, so can you just leave it? We only started talking because of your crush on Sungjin so don't act like you care so much."

Brian's looking down, mentally scolding himself for snapping at Jae like that. He hears Jae slide down, and concludes that he's leaving. Brian wants to apologize and ask him to stay, but he thinks it's not his place after what he just said. Brian hears the gravel and refuses to look up to watch Jae leave, but then he realizes that with each step, it's getting louder.

Jae sits down on the swing beside him,

"If you think our friendship isn't sincere because of how it started, you're wrong." Jae starts,

"You're the first real friend I've had - ever. So yeah, maybe I do like Sungjin but me staying friends with you and my concern right now has nothing to do with him. I even said I'd finish my part of the project at home because it was getting late and you weren't home yet." he explains, and Brian can't look at him,

"I rejected his offer to walk me home because I wanted to go look for you... Brian," and with that name, Brian instinctively looks to his side, meeting Jae's eyes,

"I don't know about you, but to me, our friendship is way more than just a mere crush on your best friend."

The silence after that is comfortable, Jae settling for the lack of retaliation. 

"Thank you." Brian eventually says,

"Sorry for snapping, today was just rough... Even then, I shouldn't have taken it out on you-"

"It's okay. I'm not gonna pry, you don't have to talk or anything." Jae comforts with a smile. 

And they leave it at that. They start swinging, slowly rocking back and forth, and looking up at the sky. A plane flies by and Jae says its model while Brian comments,

"Must be nice to just fly away like that..."

Jae looks at Brian, the other's focus still on the sky and Jae takes in the details of Brian's face. His small smile, his eyes that hold mixed emotions and seem to almost shine underneath the moon and stars.

They talk about trivial things, not wanting to get too deep or serious. Jae doesn't even mention his time with Sungjin and Brian's silently thankful, not sure if he could be the supportive wingman at the moment. After almost an hour of being together, they decide it's time to go home and Brian walks Jae home.

Their steps are slow but eventually they get to Jae's house,

"Get home safely, text me when you get home,"

"Yeah, will do."

Saying that, Jae remembered Sungjin's request and his eyes go wide.

"What's wrong?" Brian asks when he notices,

"Nothing, I just forgot something. See you tomorrow, Bri!" 

"Yeah, thanks Jae," and with that, Jae closes his door and Brian heads home. When Jae checks his phone, he notices a text from Sungjin

**Sungjin: did you get lost? lool**

He quickly replies,

**Jae Park: no sorry! LOL i completely forgot, i'm home now**

**Jae Park: thanks for today**

**Sungjin: glad you got home, and stop saying thanks you didn't even stay for dinner!**

**Sungjin: my mom was nagging me about that**

**Sungjin: see you tomorrow!! if you don't get your part done, it's cool we still have time**

**Jae Park: ok but dw i'll finish it! see you (:**

Brian takes his time in walking home, and when he reaches there he hears his best friend yelling from his bedroom window,

"Why're you smiling to yourself!" Sungjin asks,

"None of your business!" Brian yells back with a laugh,

"Oh~ Does Brian have a secret crush?!" 

"No! Never! Feelings are the worst!" he yells, and Sungjin laughs. 

"Stop yelling, you'll irritate the neighbours!"

" _You're_ the irritating neighbour!" and Sungjin sticks out his tongue, before retreating to his room. Brian shakes his head with a smile as he unlocks the door of his house and goes inside. 

**burger kang: i'm home**

**jaepark: okay, that's good! gotta finish my part of the project lol**

**burger kang: still can't believe you rejected sungjin walking you home**

**jaepark: wELL MAYBE IF SOMEONE CAME BACK I WOULDN'T HAVE**

**burger kang: LOOL don't blame me**

Brian smiles at the thought of Jae giving up that opportunity just to go search for him. 

**jaepark: whatever smh good night**

**burger kang: good night loser**

**jaepark: stop calling me a loser D: <**

**burger kang: that was like my first time!**

**jaepark: NO you said the same thing on call**

Brian falters in surprise that Jae heard him that time. 

**burger kang: ok ok i'll stop**

**jaepark: thank you**

**burger kang: loser**

**jaepark: blocked**

**burger kang: LOL good night, thanks for tonight (:**

**jaepark: blocked.**

**burger kang: lmfaoo see you tomorrow**

and Brian isn't surprised when Jae doesn't text back, and just laughs lightly at his phone. He's about to go wash up when he gets a text,

**SungBro: you were gone a long time this time, you okay?**

**KangBri: yeah, things were pretty bad today...**

**KangBri: thanks for checking up**

**SungBro: of course**

**SungBro: what's an annyoing neighbour for?**

**KangBri: you right**

**KangBri: how was the project tonight?**

**SungBro: it was good, we're like done**

**KangBri: wonpil and i should probably start...**

**KangBri: whatever, we'll get it done lol**

**SungBro: bro start? slackersss LOL**

**KangBri: you only started cause you have the smartest kid in our class as a partner**

**SungBro: at least we started...**

**SungBro: bri can i tell you something?**

**KangBri: what??**

Brian watches as Sungjin types, wondering if it'll be a question about what went down today, why he was gone so long, or something along those lines. So, his eyes widen slightly in surprise when he gets the text

**SungBro: I think i'm starting to like someone??**

Before replying, Brian thinks to himself: _Me too... Damn._

They talk for a bit, delaying Brian's shower but he doesn't mind. It's almost midnight by the time Brian showers and gets to bed with various things on his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment any thoughts! I love reading comments & reply to every one!


	5. Take Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @zenkrcovers | kakao: zenaya  
> feel free to message me on either! I'm really friendly and enjoy conversation :D

The next morning, Brian approaches the boys who are waiting at the slope. Jae's talking to Sungjin and Brian recalls the conversation they had last night. Sungjin may have feelings for someone - who it was wasn't revealed, and Brian didn't tell his best friend of his possible feelings. They usually tell each other everything, but Brian didn't ask who because he wouldn't know what to do if the answer to that wasn't Jae. Sungjin and Jae are talking about their project and Wonpil arrives at the same time Brian does.

"Good morning," Jae says and Wonpil gives a smile and responds,

"Good morning," before making his way to Sungjin's side.

Brian gives Jae a small smile and talks to Wonpil about their project that they should probably start. Junhyeok and Dowoon are saying they haven't started either, and the group laughs as they make their way to the school. As they're getting closer, they approach a crowd and hear muffled yells and Jae doesn't process what's happening until Brian's already running into the middle of the circle, helping Seungmin up.

"I told you that if you did this again, I would beat your ass-" Brian reminds through clenched teeth as he clutches the guy's collar, 

"Brian, it's okay," Seungmin says,

"Oh, look at your boyfriend coming to save the day," 

"He's not my boyfriend-" Seungmin's weak protests are barely heard as Brian pushes the boy named Kisung out of the circle,

"What's your problem?" Brian asks, glare narrowing at Kisung who's smirking,

"My problem? Seungmin and I have no problem, right?" Kisung asks, and Brian turns to look at Seungmin who's eyes are situated on the ground and he nods out of habit.

"See? So why don't you mind your own business," he says as he pushes Brian,

"Seungmin is my business," he replies, not giving any ground and chuckling. The smile on Brian's face causes Kisung to falter, his eyes aren't scared or irritated anymore - they look like they're enjoying this. Jae watches, supporting Seungmin as he pulls them out of the circle, trying to create distance between him and Kisung

"I don't like having to repeat myself," Brian starts,

"But you don't seem like you like to listen, am I right, Kisung-ah?" 

Kisung's lips quiver and Brian laughs, 

"If I see you anywhere _near_ Seungmin," he pauses, and smiles before patting Kisung on the cheek,

"Well... if you're curious, try it."

The Brian in front of him is one Jae doesn't recognize. His eyes are wild yet focused and purposeful, that smile isn't care free and playful, even his laugh sounds different and Jae wonders why Brian has that side to him. 

Brian releases Kisung's collar and shoves him before telling him off, and Kisung walks away his jaw clenched and steps angry. 

"All of you guys are just as bad as Kisung," Brian says, pointing around the circle that was just watching Seungmin taking punches,

"Disgusting," he says under his breath before shoving past a few people and rejoining the group who were walking Seungmin to the infirmary. It's a quiet walk and Jae wonders if this has happened before because the other boys didn't even flinch when Brian ran into the circle, they barely blinked as they took Seungmin away from the situation. 

"I'll stay with him for a bit, I'll meet you guys in class," Brian informs, leaning on the wall beside the bed Seungmin was sitting on,

"Kang Bri, your stuff," Sungjin says, holding out an arm,

"Thanks," he replies with a small, grateful smile. 

The group leaves, Wonpil helping Sungjin with Brian's stuff while they all talk about their projects. Jae lingers just a little longer, slowing his pace so that he sees Brian sitting beside Seungmin through the small window and he doesn't know why his mind doesn't leave them even as they walk down the hall to class.

"Seungmin..." Brian starts and doesn't know where to go from there,

"I'm sorry," Brian looks to his side, noticing Seungmin's eyes that are fixated on the floor,

"You keep getting into this mess, you should stop, people might get the wrong idea about us-"

"Am I suddenly dating someone because I stop some asshole from beating up an innocent kid?"

"No, but I can't help but feel special." he admits, surprising Brian.

"You're like my knight in shining armour, and I get that I already confessed but if you keep coming to my side like that, what do you expect me to do?"

"So what do you expect _me_ to do?" Brian fires back,

"You want me to just let Kisung break your glasses? Bust your lip? Blacken your eye?"

"Sometimes, yes!" Seungmin replies,

"Honestly, sometimes I wish you would... Because then I wouldn't feel special, then I wouldn't hug that panda you gave me a little tighter at night," he finally looks into Brian's eyes, and Brian hates the tears that line them,

"So yeah, sometimes I wish you would just ignore me like everyone else because then I wouldn't think we could be something more than just damsel in distress and knight in shining armour."

Brian looks at Seungmin whose eyes have returned to the ground. He wonders why he likes him so much, and then reflects on his own feelings for someone he knows is unattainable. Seungmin is a good kid, and having Brian at his side would probably get Kisung to stop. Brian doesn't really know how he came to this conclusion, but it happens, and after a few moments of silence, he breaks it with

"So then let's date."

Jae's barely focusing on the lesson as he waits for Brian to come back, and when he does, he tries to read his expression as if that'll tell him what happened in the infirmary. Just like the first time he walked in late, Brian acts like nothing happens, smiling at the boys when he makes his way to his seat after giving a bow of apologies to the teacher. Before Jae gets to ask if Seungmin's okay, Brian turns to Wonpil to confirm their plans of going to the library after school to start their project.

The rest of the school day passes by quickly, or maybe Jae's just distracted. Even when the group goes their separate ways as Brian and Wonpil head to the library, Jae makes a mental note to make sure to text Brian later tonight.

Wonpil and Brian are sitting at one of the tables available at the library, their poster progressing quickly as their teamwork is pretty good. 

"How's Seungmin?" Wonpil asks, and Brian shrugs, replying

"Okay, I guess. Stupid Kisung kid is pissing me off though," and Wonpil hums in response.

They continue to work, getting their project done and they're impressed with themselves. Wonpil offers to take it home and then they decide to go get some food before parting ways. It's dark outside, understandable due to how much time they spent finishing their project, granted they were extremely productive but still. They settle down at a restaurant nearby the school, it's not too busy and the owner recognizes Wonpil and already knows what he's going to order. Brian and Wonpil are laughing about something trivial when the laughter dies down as their food comes along with some extra side dishes, courtesy of the owner. In between bites they discuss their upcoming plans, how time is flying and Halloween is coming up, and after that Christmas. When on the topic of doing a Secret Santa with the friend group this year, Wonpil says a line familiar to Brian,

"Hey Bri, can I tell you something?" and Brian takes a spoonful of his soup, nodding and saying

"Yeah of course, Piri,"

Wonpil's hesitation and playing with his spoon doesn't go unnoticed and Brian comforts,

"Or you don't have to, it's cool."

And Wonpil's awkward chuckle is his response of "nevermind". Brian moves on naturally, politely asking if they can get more side dishes and the owner has more on their table in no time. They move on to talk about how they'll present it, agreeing it would be best to split the information up while also talking about certain topics together to demonstrate that they did in fact as a team.

After they finish eating, they walk home, Brian saying he'll walk Wonpil home because it's dark outside. They're walking in comfortable silence, enjoying the breeze that is growing colder with each day as Halloween approaches. 

"I think I'm starting to like someone." Wonpil says, startling Brian who was kicking a stone along the way,

"Oh," is the immediate response accompanied by a surprised expression.

_Why do they confide in me?_ Brian thinks. He's grateful they trust him like that, but who is he supposed to go to? He concludes he won't tell anyone about his own potential feelings and keep it to himself.

"That's... Good?" Brian replies with a small smile, unsure himself, and Wonpil laughs,

"I mean I guess... I just don't know what to do with these feelings. What if they don't like me back?"

_I know mine doesn't._

"Like, what if I ruin things with them?"

_I probably would._

"Is it better to just not say anything?"

_For me, definitely._

"Not sure, Piri-ah," Brian starts,

"Sorry I can't give the best advice... but personally, if I liked someone, in the future I'd rather look back and know I tried than regret not saying anything and wonder what we could have been, you know?"

_Liar. I can't tell him._

Wonpil hums in response,

"Yeah, I'd probably feel the same," he sighs and continues,

"Well, I'm not sure yet - I've just been confused lately... if in the future I'm sure of my feelings, I think I'll be able to tell them."

"Personally, I would confess only when I know that I'd be okay with whatever answer they give me," Brian explains,

"Like, of course I'd be hoping for the feelings to be mutual, but I think I'd need to know I'd be okay if it wasn't."

Wonpil looks to his side, slightly surprised,

"For someone who hasn't accepted a single confession or admitted to feelings, you seem like you think about this a lot," Wonpil comments, a friendly smile on his face and Brian laughs,

"I guess..."

"How about you, Bri? Any feelings or anything on your mind?" 

The question catches him off guard and causes a small,

"Huh?" to escape his lips.

"Uh nah," he collects himself, shaking his head,

"You know I don't wanna involve myself with anyone..."

He immediately thinks of Seungmin.

"Yeah, but you can still like someone and not act on it," Wonpil points out and Brian just smiles. He's extremely thankful they reach Wonpil's house just then because he doesn't want to explain himself. 

"Get home safe, Bri," Wonpil says and smiles as he waves,

"I will! See you tomorrow!" and Brian waves back before heading back home. 

Brian's enjoying the silence but his mind is in disarray. Seungmin, Wonpil's potential feelings, Sungjin's that are possibly blossoming, and Brian's own for-

His thoughts get cut off by his ringtone that seems deafeningly loud in the serenity of the evening. 

"Hello?" he says,

"Hi Bri!" Jae says and Brian habitually smiles.

"Hey, what's up?" 

"Just wanted to talk to you,"

The way Jae says that like it's nothing makes Brian realize what Seungmin meant earlier.

They talk about random stuff, before Jae asks,

"How was Seungmin?" 

On the other line, Jae was waiting and wondering why Brian went quiet.

"Okay, I think."

"That's good," and Jae wants to slap himself when he asks,

"What did you guys talk about?" Jae himself doesn't know why he's so curious, but there was something about the way Brian sat down by Seungmin and looked at him that makes Jae feel something - something he can't name, or describe. 

"Uh," Brian says, wondering why Jae asked and sighs,

"Nothing in particular, just wanted to make sure he was okay..." he lies.

"Oh okay.. Sorry, was just curious," Jae tries to save himself and just awkwardly laughs.

"It's cool," Brian says, smiling at the ground. 

"What're you doing right now?" he asks, and that sends Jae off talking about his present actions, which is finishing up his portion of the poster, what he planned to do, the dream he had during an accidental nap. It's moments like these where Jae just talks about himself that Brian finds himself smiling at the smallest things. The way Jae gets carried away when talking about the dream, or his little snorts of laughter before he even gets to tell the funny part of it.

They stay on the phone until Jae says he has to go, and Brian hangs up with a "good night". He puts his phone back in his pocket as he's approaching his house, and catches Sungjin leaving his own.

"Oh, Kang Bri where were you?" 

"Project with Piri," 

"Oh... 'till this late?" Sungjin asks,

"We grabbed some dinner and I walked him home... Where are you off to?"

"Jae has the project right now, but I forgot some stuff so I'm gonna go give it to him,"

"Couldn't wait 'till tomorrow?" and Brian hopes his voice doesn't sound defensive, because those words just slipped out.

"We were just texting, and I said I could bring it over, so," 

Brian nods and recalls Jae's rather sudden need to hang up and lack of reason.

"Wanna come?" Sungjin asks, and Brian shakes his head,

"Nah, I got things to do. Be safe though, call me if anything happens,"

"Will do, see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yeah yeah," he replies and they do their handshake before Brian watches Sungjin head in the direction of Jae's house.

In his room, Brian holds his phone in his hand before he sends a message to someone.

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: Hey, can we talk?**

Brian's leg shakes impatiently as he waits for a response. After a couple of minutes, Brian's phone vibrates and he reads

**Seungmin-ah: Okay**

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: I just wanna apologize for earlier today...**

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: I would apologize in person, and I will as soon as I see you tomorrow, but I just needed to tell you right now**

He lets out a sigh of relief, laying down on his bed and waiting for Seungmin's reply, if he gets one.

**Seungmin-ah: It's okay**

**Seungmin-ah: Sorry for slapping you**

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: Nah I deserved that**

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: and everything you said**

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: I said we should date without thinking how it would make you feel, and I swear it wasn't my intention to make it seem like I pity you**

**Seungmin-ah: Sorry my rejection wasn't as cool as yours lol**

Brian laughs at his screen,

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: sorry my confession wasn't as cool as yours**

**Seungmin-ah: that was barely a confession, don't think highly of what you did!**

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: ouch.**

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: are you sure you accept my apology?? LOL**

They talk for a while, getting to understand each other more, and Seungmin tells Brian that even he doesn't know why Kisung picks on him. Brian tells Seungmin that he'll be selfish and stick by Seungmin's side, even though it may make him feel special - he'd rather that than Kisung beating him up everyday - and Seungmin agrees, saying he'll try not to. Brian's thankful for Seungmin who's willing to talk and listen, despite what happened in the infirmary. Before they say good night, Brian apologizes one more time and Seungmin assures that it's okay.

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: seriously though Seungmin, I'm so sorry for that dick move**

**Seungmin-ah: Brian, it's okay.**

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: Honestly, when I said it I thought how you could like someone like me..**

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: it was such a dick move like**

**Seungmin-ah: Yeah, I was mad too**

**Seungmin-ah: but you texting me right now, and still apologizing is part of why I like you lol**

**Seungmin-ah: Just like when you save me from Kisung, you care about me. That's weird saying it myself, but I don't think I'm wrong.**

**Seungmin-ah: someone like you?? someone who cares for others and even realizes their own mistakes**

**Seungmin-ah: How can I not like you?**

Brian stares at his screen, just processing Seungmin's words. He thinks he needed to hear this affirmation - that he was worth being sincerely liked, not just for his assumed good looks. 

**Seungmin-ah: ok that was embarrassing I'm gonna go now LOL**

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: Sorry I don't like you back**

**Seungmin-ah: "I didn't mean to pity you" also you: "sorry" x23482**

**Seungmin-ah: Don't worry about it! I'll get over you soon enough lol**

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: Thanks for talking to me, Seungmin-ah!**

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: Good night (:**

**Seungmin-ah: Good night~ ^^**

Brian goes to sleep with a small smile on his face. 

The next morning, the boys are walking up the slope like usual, Junhyeok and Dowoon are telling the group that they're going to start their project tonight, and Sungjin teases saying they probably won't even get it done in time. As their walking, Brian spots Seungmin, walking with his head down and turns to the group,

"I'll meet you guys in class, yeah?"

"On time?" Sungjin teases,

"Yeah!" Brian says with a smile, jogging towards Seungmin. The boy's face lights up when he notices Brian, and Brian ruffles his hair as he says a good morning.

Jae watches from Sungjin's side, and he finds himself struggling to listen to their conversation. His interest is piqued when he faintly hears Brian say,

"I'm sorry for yesterday."

"I said it was okay last night!" 

"And I said I would apologize again when I saw you today!" 

Jae's eyes seem to stay on the two even as they walk to class, Jae only turning away when they enter the building and Brian and Seungmin stay outside to talk a bit more.

The school day passes, and so does the week with each pair presenting successfully. Jae and Sungjin got the highest mark - which the group credits to Jae - while Brian and Wonpil, and Junhyeok and Dowoon were only 2-3 marks below. Other days pass too, each day normal, some more boring than others, and soon enough, Halloween is upon them.

"What're you gonna dress up as?" Jae asks Brian, and he shrugs. 

"Not sure, yet. How about you?" 

"Same, I don't know either,"

"Are we going to Haunt?" Sungjin asks,

"I haven't gone any of the previous years," Jae admits,

"Oh, then we have to go!" Junhyeok says, and Dowoon nods.

The group is doing their after school routine, and it was Dowoon's turn to choose. The convenience store owner knows them at this point, and even gives them discounts. They part ways expectant of each other's costumes tonight, and Haunt - their school held a festival for Halloween, consisting of a haunted house, and other creepy things throughout the night.

When they meet up later than night, it's already dark, adding to creepiness that seemed to be in the air. Jae's talking to Sungjin who's dressed up as a zombie, while the latter himself dressed up as Harry Potter as he already had the glasses. Wonpil's costume is a mad scientist, Junhyeok and Dowoon decided to match as dead pirates. They're just waiting on Brian before going into the festival.

When Brian comes into view up the slope, Jae's eyes widen and his heart swells slightly and he scolds the small "wow" that escapes his lips, that hopefully no one hears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment any thoughts, I'd love to know! thank you for reading <3


	6. Flight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @zenkrcovers | kakao: zenaya  
> feel free to message me on either! I'm honestly friendly and love conversation! :D

Brian rarely wears his hair up, in fact Jae doesn't recall a day he's seen his hair styled the way it is. His hair is sprayed a platinum silver, sleeked all the way back and the eyeliner sharpens his already fox-like eyes. He has a cape on, and the blood dribbling down his chin drips on to the frill of his white shirt underneath causes Jae to stare.

"Oh, Kang Bri~" Sungjin says, clapping and Brian bows with a laugh.

Jae just stares, even when Brian makes his way to his side, and meets his eyes.

"Hi," Brian says with a smile and Jae can see the fake fangs,

"Hi," Jae replies, and it sounds rather small and weak.

"You went all out this year, Bri," Junhyeok comments,

"I tried just as hard last year, what do you mean?"

"Oh yeah, cause that 'nerd' costume had so many details and effort put into it," Dowoon comments and the group laughs.

"I figured it's our last Haunt, so why not be a little more festive this year,"

"A little?" Sungjin says,

"Okay, can we just go?," Brian says, shoving Sungjin lightly to the direction of the school as they start walking. 

The group is talking about what they should do, pointing out certain costumes that are cool or scary, debating on going trick-or-treating. They come across the awaited Haunted Mansion, its queue already quite long.

"Why don't we save our spot, one of us - or even half of us - can stay here while the rest of us go get snacks?" Sungjin suggests,

"Yeah, I can stay," Brian says, already falling in line while handing Sungjin some money for his share of contributing to the food.

"Anyone wanna stay with-"

"It's okay, I can wait alone," Brian cuts Sungjin off, because Jae looked like he was going to offer and that wouldn't help their plan at all.

"You sure, Bri? I can stay," Jae offers, and Brian gives him a look that says "really, man?" and just nods,

"Nah, go Jae," he assures, and with that, the group sets off. 

Brian has been waiting in line for a few minutes when he gets a text,

**jaepark** **:** is there anything specific you want?

**burger kang: nah not really**

**burger kang: the line hasn't moved so take your time with sungjin lol**

**jaepark: you're lucky my phone brightness is down - what if he read that?!**

Brian snorts and rolls his eyes, and slips his phone back into his pocket.

It's a couple of minutes later, and a few spots closer to the mansion that Brian notices Seungmin with a couple of friends, and he looks happier than he used to. They fall in line a couple of people behind Brian and he sends Seungmin a text,

**Kang Younghyun [Brian]: I can see your ears from here lol**

And he watches as Seungmin checks his phone and proceeds to look around him, his long, tall ears flopping and swinging in different directions until he sees Brian. He smiles and tells his friends he'll be right back before heading to Brian,

"That's a cute costume," Brian says, 

"I even have a tail," Seungmin replies, spinning around and they laugh.

"You're rather large for a Pikachu,"

"Don't size shame me." Seungmin says, scoffing as if he was really offended and Brian chuckles.

"You here with some friends?"

Seungmin looks behind them in line, to see his friends talking amongst themselves,

"Yeah," he says with a fond smile, 

"That's good," Brian says, 

"Are they good to you?" and Seungmin laughs,

"Mom, calm down," and Brian shakes his head while laughing,

"Yeah, they are. They actually treat me like a friend, they're the ones that told me to come out tonight,"

"I'm glad," Brian replies, looking at Seungmin's friends,

"What took them so damn long," and Seungmin playfully shoves him,

"I wouldn't wanna be friends with Kisung's playtoy either..." he admits and Brian says just ruffles his hair,

"Hey, my ears!" he protests,

"Calm down, I avoided them," Brian says, and Seungmin smiles and his friends call him over as one of them has arrived with snacks. He says a quick "see you soon" to Brian and comments,

"You look really good, Bri,"

"Thank-" Brian narrows his eyes and points an accusing finger,

"I'm older than you! Don't call me Bri!" and he smiles at Seungmin's mischievous laugh as he walks back to his friends that feed him, and Brian smiles fondly as the group approaches Brian.

"Oh, you guys were quick," he comments and Junhyeok follows Brian's line of sight,

"Is that Seungmin?" and Brian nods, almost proudly, 

"Oh, he came with friends," Jae says with a small smile, and looks back at Brian whose eyes are still on the boy.

"Yeah... Isn't his costume so cute?" and everyone nods, Jae responding just a second later than the group.

They wait the remaining minutes, eating and talking, and soon enough, they're in front of the haunted mansion - Jae getting noticeably nervous. 

"Do you like scary things?" Sungjin asks with a comforting smile,

"Not really," he admits with a laugh,

"I love scary things like this, especially the haunted house" Sungjin says and Jae habitually smiles at Sungjin's smile, grateful he's focused on the mansion in front of them.

"Are we going in as a group?" Junhyeok asks, and one of the volunteers interrupts to inform that only 2 enter at a time,

"Let's go with our project partners?" Brian suggests and there's no objections and no one notices the slick wink Brian shoots Jae. 

Jae and Sungjin enter first, and they're barely 10 steps in when Jae screams at someone grabbing his ankle, and Sungjin just laughs. Jae lets out an awkward chuckle, trying to play off his fear but it doesn't last long as someone dressed up as Samara from The Ring approaches them, crawling towards them at a frightening speed with her limbs twisted in ways that look like they shouldn't be able to. Sungjin jumps a bit at her but quickly regains his composure,

"Jae, do you wanna walk back?" he offers, and Jae shakes his head,

"No, I can do this," Jae says, the encouragement directed at himself, not sounding convinced in the slightest.

"Sorry, you should've gone with someone else, you were looking forward to this," Jae says and despite the darkness, Sungjin can tell he's sulking.

"Don't apologize," he assures,

"Honestly, it's funnier with you screaming this much," Sungjin adds between laughter,

"Glad my fear is hilarious," Jae replies and they continue to walk through the mansion.

A couple of jumpscares later, they reach part of the mansion that Jae's not so sure he can go through. It's a mirror maze, and that alone is scary enough due to Jae's currently active imagination and the smoke machines, but there's various clowns that are following them. Sungjin notices Jae's stuttering steps and says,

"Jae, close your eyes,"

"Huh?" and before he gets a verbal explanation, Jae feels Sungjin's hand grasp his arm only to settle around his own hand, and Jae's heart starts thumping.

"Close your eyes until we get out of the maze," he says,

"Just trust me, I'll lead you," and Jae takes one peak at their intertwined fingers before nodding and closing his eyes.

Their steps together are slow and Sungjin tries his best not to jump at random clowns showing up out of seemingly nowhere, knowing it'll just scare Jae more. They're making decent progress before Jae hears a clown behind him, and he just shuts his eyes tighter,

"Sungjin," he says out of fear, and he's hoping the smoke machines are covering how insanely red he probably is at the moment,

"You're okay, Jae" Sungjin assures and Jae can hear his smile while Sungjin tightens his grip on Jae's hand and Jae allows himself to smile. 

They get through the maze thanks to Sungjin, and they're almost at the end of the haunted mansion. 

"See, we got through the maze," Sungjin says with a big smile which Jae returns.

"Oh, uh," Jae says once he realizes they're still holding hands, and they let go at that.

"Let's get out, yeah?" and Jae nods at Sungjin's suggestion. 

The rest of the mansion has more jumpscares, but Jae seems too distracted to scream as loud or flinch as aggressively as before. He smiles internally at how warm Sungjin's hand was, how soft and comforting his voice was, and how he didn't even hesitate to lead.

"We made it!" Jae says, stumbling out of the mansion with a relieved smile on his face, and Sungjin laughs from behind him, his steps more calm and less desperate.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Sungjin asks, and Jae immediately thinks of his hand within Sungjin's and smiles,

"Yeah," he starts and looks at Sungjin,

"I actually quite liked it," 

"Oh, did you now? How could you like it when you had your eyes closed for a big part of it?" he teases and Jae scoffs,

"I closed my eyes to experience it even better,"

"That doesn't make sense," 

"Yes it does! When one of your senses is lost, the others are heightened," 

Sungjin looks at Jae suspiciously,

"Supposedly." Jae finishes and they both laugh. The two decide to wait at the mansion exit for the rest of the group, and soon enough Brian and Wonpil exit, calmly and with laughter, discussing some of their favourite parts or what was different from last year. Dowoon and Junhyeok look thoroughly frightened and Sungjin teases Junhyeok clutching Dowoon's arm when they exit the mansion.

"So, what should we do now?"

"There are some games and stuff, and we can get more food?" Brian suggests and they set off.

"Bri!" Jae whispers as they walk a few steps behind the group, like they sometimes do.

"Hm?" 

"He held my hand!" Jae tries his best to contain his excitement to a whisper, and it's just barely working. Brian smiles,

"Congrats," he says as excited as he can and then proceeds to listen to Jae tell him about the haunted mansion.

They play games and eat some more, before a stall catches their attention. 

"Oh, a photobooth!" Sungjin says, excited and they all agree to take some photos. They take a cute group one, asking for enough copies for all of them, and then decide to go in pairs.

"You two, come in," the photographer says, pointing at Brian and Jae,

"Uh," Brian starts, about to suggest Jae goes with Sungjin, but Jae grabs his wrist,

"C'mon,"

"Wouldn't you want a photo with Sungjin?" Brian whispers,

"I can't take a photo with my friend?" Jae whispers back, as they get in front of the camera.

The first pose is cute and smiley, the second in character with Jae looking like he's casting a spell and Brian looking like he's about to bite.

"For the last one, how about you pretend to bite his neck?" the photographer suggests,

"Oh, that'd be cool!" Sungjin says from the side, 

"I wonder if Harry Potter could turn into a vampire," Dowoon adds.

The two have no reason to object, so they simply get into position. 

"Jae, your neck," Brian says, and Jae replies,

"Oh," while moving his collar and neck so that his skin is exposed. 

Brian gets close, and Jae suddenly feels embarrassed, feeling Brian's warm breath on his neck, and he scolds himself because it's just a fun Halloween photo. Brian tries to steady his breath, leaning in close but not too close, aware of his fake fangs that might touch Jae, 

"Vampire, put your hands on his shoulder," the photographer directs and Brian complies. His hands are barely gripping Jae's shoulders, as if scared to actually hold him,

"Okay," and the photographer counts down before a flash. The 3 second countdown feels like forever, Jae hoping his cheeks aren't red and Brian hoping he doesn't look too nervous. As soon as the flash fades, Brian removes himself from Jae and clears his throat before collecting the photo strip.

The boys go in various groups and pairs, taking advantage of the fact that no one is waiting to have their photos taken, and the photographer has taken a liking to them. Brian's watching with a smile as Junhyeok gets on Dowoon's back for a photo when he hears a familiar voice approaching,

"Oh, there's a photobooth!" and he looks to his left to see yellow floppy ears getting closer,

"Seungmin-ah," Brian says with a smile,

"Let's take a photo," he suggests and notices the playful pushes Seungmin's friends give him, which the boy shrugs off with a roll of his eyes and a smile. 

Brian and Seungmin pose naturally and playfully, and Jae watches as their final pose is Seungmin wrapped up in Brian's cape, snug in the older's arms,

"So cute!" Seungmin's friend, Jeongin, comments louder than he anticipated, and the smile on the photographer's face shows that she agrees.

The two collect their photostrip before saying goodbyes as Seungmin's friends enter the photobooth, 

"Be safe!" Brian says, and Seungmin nods.

"Hey, what's up between you two?" Wonpil asks once the group is far enough, walking as they look for more game stalls, 

"Hm?" Brian replies confused, and Wonpil elaborates,

"You and Seungmin... Do you guys have something going on?" he asks with a playful shove and Jae listens for Brian's reply. 

Brian just laughs, shakes his head and pushes Wonpil back,

"Mind your business, Piri," is Brian's response that gets everyone's attention. Sungjin's eyes widen while Wonpil almost audibly gasps,

"Kang Bri! Are you and Seungmin-"

"Oh! A basketball challenge," Brian changes the subject and jogs off,

"You already went to that stall, come back here and answer the question!" Wonpil says, jogging after Brian as the group follows. 

Jae doesn't acknowledge his seemingly excessive interest in Brian's business - that's Brian's business, afterall. He steals a quick glance back at the boy in a Pikachu suit who went so naturally into Brian's arms.

"Look at our photo!" is what interrupts Jae's thoughts, and he looks down to see him and Sungjin's photostrip.

"I'm gonna put this one up in my room, too," he says with a smile and Jae's heart swells at the thought of a photo of him being in Sungjin's room and cuts off his own thoughts and hopes before he starts wondering if they'll have more photos together to put up.

The Halloween night ends with little treat bags provided by the school, and swift goodbyes and "see you tomorrow"s. 

When Jae gets home, he shows the various photostrips to his parents, naming the boys who have become his best friends. Jae's already showered and in bed when he's scrolling through his social media, liking the Halloween posts of the group, smiling at the group photos that he's included in. He notices a post by Sungjin of him and Brian, and smiles at how brotherly they look and begins to think about how close they must be. Jae wonders that despite them being so seemingly close, why Brian agreed not to tell Sungjin. 

**jaepark: did you tell Sungjin I like him???**

Jae sends out of nowhere,

**burger kang: what**

Brian replies almost immediately,

**burger kang: no, why would I do that?**

**jaepark: sorry, its just he held my hand today and I was wondering if he knew**

**burger kang: yeah okay but do you really think I'd tell him?**

**jaepark: no, I just got really anxious**

**jaepark: sorry**

Despite this being a text conversation, Jae can sense almost irritation in Brian's messages, 

**jaepark: idk why I freaked like that, sorry Bri**

**burger kang: its cool**

**burger kang: at least he held your hand though, right?**

**jaepark: yeah today was honestly great**

But before Jae can go on about the haunted house, like he usually would, Brian sends a text,

**burger kang: that's good**

**burger kang: hey, I'm hella tired so Imma sleep now**

**burger kang: night Jae!**

Jae is slightly confused but just types back

**jaepark: oh okay! night Bri, see you tomorrow**

And it's then that he realizes that Brian has never ended their conversation before, or if he has, never this quickly. He contemplates asking him if everything's okay, but considering what just happened, he concludes that he probably shouldn't try texting again.

On the other side of things, Brian's thrashing in his bed, beating himself up over why he replied to Jae the way he did. He wants to rant, but there's no one to listen because in exposing his own feelings, he'd expose Jae's. He doesn't know why he got so irritated when Jae asked if he told Sungjin, and he wants to message and apologize but he already said good night. He ruffles his own hair accompanied with a groan of frustration, and thinks about what to do, and decides to go for a walk. He grabs a notebook and pen, stuffs his phone in his pocket after connecting his earphones and turning it on Do Not Disturb, and heads out the door.

He's sitting on a bench, writing out his feelings that no one can know about when he notices a familiar figure passing by across the street. It takes him a couple of seconds to register it's Sungjin, and he takes out an earphone and is about to wave when he notices that Sungjin isn't alone. 

Sungjin and Wonpil are walking slowly, talking about things Brian can't hear but he can see the shy smiles on their faces. He watches and slouches a bit, trying to not get noticed by the two and he succeeds as they just walk by him, slowly, as if prolonging their time together. 

Brian tries not to think too much of it - there have been many times where pairs within their friend group would just hang out together. Even today with Sungjin holding Jae's hand, Brian knows Sungjin is just naturally that kind and thoughtful. He knows Sungjin and Wonpil are close, so he tries to shrug it off. But even when they're out of sight, the thought of them two nags Brian as his brain recalls both Sungjin and Wonpil confiding in him a couple of weeks ago. That thought is a segway back to his journal, because unlike Sungjin and Wonpil, Brian can't tell anyone anything, so he settles for rushed and messy words on paper. He sits on the bench for a bit longer, leaning his head back and looks up at the sky, thinking of Jae when a plane passes by. 

When Brian gets home, he settles into his bed, and turns off the Do Not Disturb feature on his phone, and that's when a text from Jae rings in.

**jaepark: hey, I know we said good night but I just wanna make sure**

**jaepark: is everything okay, Bri?**

Brian takes a glance at his journal, and types

**burger kang: sorry I was sleeping, woke up for a glass of water**

**burger kang: yeah, everything's okay :)**

And he doesn't expect Jae to reply so quickly,

**jaepark: You sure?**

**burger kang: yeah, hbu are you okay?**

**jaepark: mhm**

**jaepark: okay, go back to bed, Imma sleep too lol**

Brian indulges in the thought of Jae waiting up for his response but quickly puts out the small flame of hope. 

The next day at school, Brian can't help but look at Sungjin and Wonpil a bit more, as if observing but he's careful not to be obvious. He talks to Jae and the group like usual, even seeing Seungmin a bit during the lunch break. 

Just as quickly as Halloween comes, it passes, and so do many days as they grow colder and darker. Soon enough, their classroom is filled with discussions about university and upcoming Christmas plans. 

It's a week away from Christmas and the group is discussing Secret Santa plans and ice-skating,

"We can all go back to my house after skating," Sungjin says and Jae smiles at the thought of seeing his parents again and wonders if they'd remember him.

"Sounds good," Brian says, tossing a grape into his mouth,

"We can exchange gifts there, and have some food and stuff,"

"Will your mom make her pudding?" Wonpil asks with expectant eyes and Sungjin laughs,

"You ask like she has ever missed a Christmas within the 4 years I've known you," and Wonpil nods,

"Fair."

"Why do you like it so much?" Brian asks with an amused smile,

"It's so good!" Wonpil defends, and proceeds to say an impromptu speech about Sungjin's mom's pudding as the group laughs at his enthusiasm about a simple dessert. 

"Should we sort out the budget and Secret Santas now?" Junhyeok asks and there's no objections, so they set a budget of $30, draw names, set a date and sort out who brings what to Sungjin's house. 

It's on the walk home, as soft snowflakes settle on his beanie, that Brian decides he'll shop for the present now and heads for the Christmas market in town. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment any thoughts, I'd love to know! thank you for reading <3


	7. Soaring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @zenkrcovers | kakao: zenaya  
> feel free to message me on either! I'm friendly and open to any conversation! :D

The Christmas market is really busy, the amount of people taking cute photos with the beautifully decorated trees, shopping and just hustling around was something Brian wasn't prepared for. He stands still and just observes for a bit, taking in the little ornaments and the smells of gingerbread, cinnamon and nutmeg that linger in the air. Brian's always been one to love Winter, he much preferred it over any of the other seasons, so just being in the Christmas market made him smile. After a few moments, he moves into the market, spending significant time at each stall. Along with the festive items, there were regular items that were being sold for gifts and Brian takes his time there. He already has a few things bought when he notices a model of an antique airplane, and he can't help but pick it up and examine it in his hands that are red from the cold. He smiles at the tought of Jae, and notices that there's a little message on the wings of the plane. 

"Fly away with me," he reads, and the store owner comments,

"Cute, right?" and Brian wears a polite smile as he nods.

"How much is it?"

Brian goes home that night, satisfied as he completed his shopping. He takes his time walking home, finding peace in the snowflakes that are coming down softly, slowly, silently. 

The group is preoccupied with excitement about their skating and Secret Santa plans that they barely focus on school - they never talk about university application approaching very soon.

"Okay, so we'll all be ready by 5?" Sungjin clarifies,

"Yeah, and I'll drive all of us," Junhyeok says,

"I can drive us," Brian offers,

"We'll be going back to Sungjin's anyway,"

"Yeah, and how will the rest of us get home from Sungjin's?" Junhyeok points out and Brian nods in defeat.

"Sleepover?" he suggests with a mischievous smile and Sungjin smacks his best friend,

"Nope," and the group laughs. 

Junhyeok picks up Dowoon first and he takes passenger seat, then picks up Wonpil, Jae, and Brian and Sungjin who are conveniently neighbours. Jae is smiling the whole car ride there. 

He smiles at Brian screaming along to the Christmas carols, Wonpil harmonizing and Sungjin complaining about how he's heard Brian's rendition of every Christmas carol for the past 8 years. Jae laughs at Dowoon navigating Junhyeok incorrectly and Junhyeok yelling at him, he laughs at Wonpil talking about Sungjin's mom's pudding again. He's so happy that this is how he's spending Christmas this year.

"Jae, you okay?" Sungjin asks, noticing how quiet he is,

"Yeah, I'm just..." he looks around the car and smiles even wider,

"Super grateful for all of you." and he continues,

"This is the first time I have friends to actually do festive stuff with, and today doesn't end with ice skating, we're going back to Sungjin's and-" he lets out a content sigh,

"I'm just super grateful that you guys are my friends." 

It's quiet as Brian's just staring at Jae, a small smile on his lips as he admires Jae's confession. A sniffle from Junhyeok breaks the silence,

"A-are you crying?" Dowoon asks and Junhyeok just says,

"It's 'cause Jae said that out of no where!" and the group laughs,

"You're such a softie," Dowoon teases and Junhyeok shoots him a glare that shuts him up.

"You know, we're grateful for you too, Jae," Wonpil says with a warm smile,

"Yeah, if only you met Brian sooner," Sungjin comments and Jae laughs as he goes to look at Brian who has a seemingly sad smile on his face, not looking Jae in the eye.

Brian reflects on the way him and Jae met, and thinks

_If we met sooner... would he like me instead?_

"Okay we're finally here!" Junhyeok says,

"Already?" Wonpil asks, surprised,

"Yeah, we would've been here sooner if _someone_ ," Junhyeok looks at Dowoon whose wearing a guilty smile,

"Could recite directions properly."

"You could've had your own GPS on, you didn't have to listen to me!"

"I'll do that next time, thank you!" and the group laughs at their bickering before exiting the car.

The ice skating rink is huge, and not that busy, Brian notices as they're walking to rent skates. They're lacing up when Jae admits,

"I don't know how to skate," and they stare at him.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?!" Wonpil breaks the silence,

"Does everyone else know how?" Jae asks, looking around surprised,

"Yes!" Brian says, laughing at Jae's helplessness,

"I took a bet that at least one other person wouldn't know how," he admits,

"We could've done something like sledding or tubing," Sungjin says,

"We still have time," Junhyeok says with raised eyebrows, prompting a decision,

"No, no let's just stay here. I'll learn soon enough," Jae says and they all look at him with uncertainty,

"It can't be that hard, right?" he comments with some confidence.

"He looks like a newborn baby deer." Wonpil comments, watching Jae flail, fall and fold on the ice. 

"Shouldn't someone help him?" Dowoon suggests,

"Our best skater is enjoying the rink right now," Sungjin answers and they watch Brian who's skating freely. 

"Once we get our laces done and we're on the ice, let's help Jae," Junhyeok says, laughing as Jae continues to try and fail. 

"How come he went on?"

"He was stubborn with Brian, told him to lace him up after Bri was done, and wanted to go out at the same time," Sungjin explains,

"But why?" and Wonpil answers,

"He wanted to have a few extra minutes to practice before we got on the ice,"

"I don't think a few minutes is gonna cut it," Dowoon says with a laugh as he starts his right skate,

"Okay, whoever finishes up lacing first, go help the poor guy," Sungjin instructs,

"Oh," Wonpil says, pausing on his left skate,

"Looks like Bri's got it,"

Brian circles around back to Jae,

"How are you doing that?" Jae asks, out of breath from falling and struggling so much,

"You gotta balance first, try to just stay still," Brian says and Jae tries to straighten his back, wobbly, but he manages to do it.

"Great, now you're gonna slowly try to move forward," and with those words, Jae tries but falls back down. 

"Okay, here," Brian says, after laughing at Jae's fall, and he holds out his gloved hands.

"I'll lead you for a bit, but once Sungjin gets on the ice, ask him to help," Jae holds his hands and replies,

"Can't you just help me?"

"Wouldn't you want Sungjin to?"

"I don't wanna embarrass myself in front of him too much," and Brian nods. 

"Why aren't you wearing gloves?" 

"I forgot them," Jae says and before they move, Brian slips his off and gives them to Jae,

"Your hands will probably be on the ice longer than mine, so just wear them," and Jae puts them on, smiling to himself as they're already warm from Brian's use.

"Okay, hold," Brian instructs, and Jae listens,

"Now, slowly," Brian thinks of how to describe the movement,

"Move like a penguin,"

"What?" Jae says with a laugh and Brian laughs too,

"Waddle a bit, but slowly... Like, keep one foot steady and with the other foot, push yourself forward,"

"That's more helpful than 'move like a penguin'," Jae comments and Brian threatens to let go of his hands, to which Jae tightens his grip,

"Try." Brian encourages, and Jae does. It's really unstable and even Brian almost loses his balance due to Jae holding his hands so tightly. But Jae's persistent, and he continues to try until they're moving a bit,

"Oh!" he exclaims,

"I'm doing it!" and Brian smiles at Jae and it's so pure and wide that Jae almost stares,

"Don't get too excited or else we'll fall," he warns with light laughter. 

By the time the rest of the boys get on the ice, Jae's moving more confidently but still while holding Brian's hands. They surround the duo as Brian easily skates backwards while guiding Jae,

"Does someone wanna take a guide shift with the baby deer?" Brian jokes, but he's honestly happy. The rest of the group skates freely around the rink while Brian stays with Jae for a bit longer. His hands are so cold that they feel like they're burning, but he's happy that Jae wanted him to teach him, guide him, to hold him. Maybe it was because he was the only other one on the ice, but still, Brian's happy. He settles for little moments like this when Jae's not distracted by Sungjin. Sungjin takes peeks at the two as he circles around the rink, noticing Brian's smile that seemingly won't go away.

"Once more around the rink and then you gotta try by yourself, okay?" and with a nod, the two set off one more time around the rink.

With the snow falling, the glow from surrounding Christmas lights, and them moving slowly, Brian decides to take a mental picture of this moment so he can cherish it. 

"Okay, I'm gonna let go now, but if you fall, I'll help you back up," Brian assures with a smile. 

To all of their surprise, Jae manages to do it. They follow the boy around the rink, cheering him on as he succeeds a single lap by himself. 

"I did it!" he cheers,

"Thank you, Bri," Jae says, the beanie pushing his bangs into his eyes that are now happy crescents, his nose a bit red from the cold, and the cutest smile Brian has seen.

"You're welcome," he replies and he's thankful for the cold that can be blamed for his slightly flushed cheeks. 

The rest of their time skating is fun, and Jae's more comfortable on the ice, skating at a reasonable speed with the guys. It ends with Brian asking a stranger to take a photo of them, asking them to make sure their skates are in the photo. The group photo is cute, and Jae wonders if Sungjin will develop it and hang it in his room. 

The car ride back is just as happy as the ride there, all of them discussing how their shopping went for their Secret Santa.

"Wouldn't this be hardest for Jae?" Dowoon asks and elaborates,

"To be fair, he's known us the shortest amount of time,"

"Shopping wasn't too hard," Jae assures,

"Even if I haven't known you guys for years, you guys make me feel like I have so,"

"You'll make Junhyeok cry again," Sungjin teases and the group laughs.

When they get to Sungjin's house they all say hi to his parents, with some hugs and kisses from his mom,

"Oh, Jaehyung!" she says when he goes to greet her,

"You're back, good!" and Jae laughs while nodding while Wonpil and Brian watch the interaction, no one noticing.

"You're staying to eat this time, right?" she asks and Jae replies,

"Yes, I'm staying this time."

They compliment the Christmas decorations that the family put up in the living before going to the basement. Sungjin tells them to make themselves at home, which they all do, Jae a little more hesitant than the rest. They have some hot chocolate and cookies before they get to gift exchange, each exposing the neatly wrapped presents which they all hid in their backpacks. 

"Jae's ribbon is so cute," Sungjin comments and Jae smiles while Brian agrees in silence.

"Okay, so who should go first?" Dowoon prompts,

"Why don't you, since you said it," Junhyeok says, and Dowoon replies,

"Wow, you're just extra sassy today, aren't you?" and the group laughs while Brian eyes the two and makes an internal bet. Dowoon gets up with his gift, neatly wrapped with a card on top and stands in the middle of the group,

"So, the name I pulled was..." he pauses for dramatic effect, and eventually extends the gift to Sungjin, which he receives with surprise. 

"Sungjin!" he says excitedly, and it's Sungjin's turn to announce that he got Junhyeok. Junhyeok got Brian, who got Wonpil, who got Jae and Jae got Dowoon. They agreed to distribute gifts before all opening it at the same time. 

"Everyone have theirs?" Sungjin asks over Brian commenting on Junhyeok's neat wrapping, Dowoon saying Jae's ribbon is adorable, and Wonpil complimenting Brian's choice of wrapping paper. After nods and words of affirmation, they open the gifts.

Dowoon got Sungjin an antique polaroid camera, explaining that he knows that Sungjin likes to develop photos and thought the camera would be a nice addition. Sungjin's so happy that he hugs Dowoon while saying thank you before going to talk to Junhyeok about how he liked his gift. Sungjin got Junhyeok this pair of headphones he'd been talking about for weeks, along with a converter jack so he could plug it in and practice his piano. From Junhyeok, Brian receives a sweater that Brian was eyeing one time at the mall and he's surprised Junhyeok even remembered, he tries it on and everyone hypes him up like they usually do. Wonpil opens the gift to reveal a set of mini Avengers action figures, and his excitement when he thanks Brian makes him laugh. Jae's surprised face and happy smile when he opens Wonpil's gift of a certificate to a nearby flight school for one free fly causes the group to laugh. Dowoon opens the gift decorated with cute ribbon and smiles at the little gifts within the big box, a pack of his melon milk being one of them. Jae had gotten him a drumming pad and new sticks that varied, even some brushes because Dowoon mentioned he liked jazz. 

After they all say their thank you's, they talk about how happy and satisfied they are.

"Actually, I have a little something for you guys," Jae announces and reaches into his bag and pulls out cards.

"There's nothing inside, it's just cards," he says with a shy smile as he hands them out. 

Each card has a candy cane attached, with a heartfelt message from the boy inside.

"Are you actively trying to make me cry?" Junhyeok says and Jae laughs,

"I didn't realize you were so softhearted!" he defends as they all read Jae's card. 

Brian reads Jae's neat handwriting, 

_Hi Burger Kang! ^_^_

_I've only known you for a few months, but I'm so thankful for you._

_This is our first Christmas together, and I hope for many more!_

_With the new year approaching, I hope to maintain this friendship. Because of you, so many good things have happened to me - you being one of them!_

_Merry Christmas, Bri Bri!_

_Much love & blessings - Jae_

He smiles to himself and wonders what Jae wrote in everyone elses', wanting to take a peek at Sungjin's because the smile on his best friend's face is rather obvious. He makes eye contact with Jae,

"Thank you," he says with a small smile and Jae replies with a wide one,

"Merry Christmas, Bri!" 

"Merry Christmas, Jae," is his response that activates a chain reaction of echoes, and the boys all go to Jae and envelop him in a group hug. 

After they settle down and clean up the garbage of wrapping paper that was left on Sungjin's basement floor, they decide to watch some Christmas movies. They get through one and a half when Sungjin's mom calls them up for more food and they make their way up the stairs to grab food and go back downstairs. Brian, Dowoon, Wonpil and Junhyeok are downstairs, talking about some trivial things when Brian slips away with something in his pocket. He goes upstairs and finds Jae, who he's about to call out to but then he notices he's talking to Sungjin. 

"Hey, it's not much but I... actually got you," Jae pulls out a little box,

"A little present," and Sungjin accepts with a surprised expression,

"Oh, what," he says and smiles at Jae,

"Thank you, you didn't have to." 

"I-I wanted to," Jae admits and Brian watches and listens, holding the box with the little antique plane model and shoves it back into his pocket with a defeated smile. Before Sungjin can open it and talk to Jae even more, Brian makes his way downstairs, 

"Oh, that was quick," Wonpil says.

"Yeah, just had to pee," Brian lies. 

He decides to leave the box with a little note attached in Jae's bag, and slips it in there quickly without getting noticed. 

**Seungmin-ah: Hey! Are you free rn?**

Brian looks at his phone confused,

**Kang Brian: Uhh, I could be if you needed me to, are you okay?**

**Kang Brian: Are you hurt?**

**Seungmin-ah: Lol I don't just contact you when I'm in danger**

**Seungmin-ah: Can I meet you in front of your house in a few minutes?**

**Seungmin-ah: I have a gift for you**

**Kang Brian: Oh, whaaattt**

**Kang Brian: you didn't have to!**

**Seungmin-ah: yeah yeah, so I'll see you in a few?**

**Kang Brian: yeah sure, gimme like 10 mins**

**Seungmin-ah: kk!**

Jae and Sungjin make their way back downstairs, and that's when Brian starts saying his goodbyes, explaining that Seungmin needs to see him for a bit and Jae's ears cling on to that name. 

"I swear you guys have something going on," Wonpil says and Brian shakes his head, 

"Should we head home too then?" Junhyeok suggests and they agree considering the time.

As Brian is saying bye to Jae, Sungjin notices a little box in his own bag that has a small tag that reads **to: Jae** and he notices the **from: Bri**. He looks at the two briefly before he discreetly slips it in the appropriate bag, eyeing Brian. They say their goodbyes and thank Sungjin's parents for having them over, and thank Sungjin for hosting as they all get into Junhyeok's car after Sungjin telling him to drive safely. Brian shares their handshake with Sungjin when he sees Seungmin approaching his house, and Sungjin watches for a few moments, thinking of the little gift for Jae, before going back inside. 

"Hey!" Brian says when Seungmin approaches, holding a gift,

"Hi," he says with a smile before extending the gift to him,

"Merry Christmas," 

Brian accepts with a sweet smile before saying,

"I actually have something for you too, it's a small thing, but," he reaches in his backpack and pulls out a small box with a bow on top.

"Merry Christmas, Seungmin-ah," he says. 

"Why did you react like that if you got me something too!" Seungmin says and they laugh.

"Do you want me to open it now or when I get home?" 

"Now," Seungmin says, 

"And I'll open mine after,"

Brian unwraps it and inside the box is a cute mini fox plush keychain,

"It's kind of random, I know, but I just thought of you when I saw it..." Seungmin explains,

"Plus, doesn't it look kind of like you?" Brian lets out a laugh,

"Yeah, it does." he looks at Seungmin with gentle eyes,

"Thank you." and he ruffles the younger's hair like he always does,

"Okay, your turn," and Seungmin pops open the box and pulls out a panda phone chain and small plush. He looks up at Brian with happy eyes,

"To match your giant stuffed one," he comments and they laugh.

"Thank you, Brian... Seriously." and Brian just ruffles his hair again,

"Don't worry about it."

"Merry Christmas, Bri!"

"Hey, watch it," at Seungmin just laughs.

"Did you have any other Christmas plans?" 

"Yeah, I was just walking home from Secret Santa with my friends," he informs with a proud smile,

"Oh look at you, all grown up," Brian teases with a sniffle and Seungmin shoves him. 

They say their good nights, Brian offers to walk Seungmin home but Seungmin calls him ridiculous because Brian's already home.

"Text me when you get home, then!"

"Will do!"

"Merry Christmas, Seungmin-ah!"

"Merry Christmas, Kang Younghyun!"

"What-"

"You said I couldn't call you Bri," he teases and jogs as he notices Brian threatening to run after him. Brian laughs it off, and waits till Seungmin can no longer be seen before he goes into his house. 

He's scrolling through Instagram while lying in bed, liking various posts from the group and other people he follows. He posts the group photo from skating, and reflects on his time with Jae. He smiles to himself while thinking,

_Today was a good day._

While recalling the feeling of Jae gripping his hands, he recalls the gift he put in Jae's bag and thinks,

_It's not over yet..._

When he gets a text from Jae, and suddenly he gets nervous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment any thoughts, I'd love to read them! thank you for reading.


	8. Turbulence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @zenkrcovers | kakao: zenaya  
> feel free to message me on either! I'm actually really friendly and would love to make MyDay friends! :D

Brian shoots up straight in his bed when he receives a text from Jae. He's nervous, almost regretting him even putting the present in Jae's bag and wondering if it was all a bad idea.

**jaepark: BRI**

**jaepark: thank you.**

**jaepark: I love it so much oh my gosh, it's such an accurate model!**

Brian smiles at the texts and is about to reply when Jae requests to video chat, and Brian hesitantly answers.

"Hey-"

"Bri! Look at how cute it is!" Jae exclaims and Brian just smiles and laughs,

"Yeah, I know, I bought it..."

"Thank you so much, you didn't have to!" 

"I wanted to though," and Brian tries to bury the fact that this mirrors the conversation Jae had with Sungjin an hour ago, 

"I actually have something for you too, I just didn't wanna give it in front of the guys, so I thought it could wait till when I see you next" Jae admits with a bashful smile, and Brian nods while thinking to himself,

_So Sungjin's couldn't wait, huh?_

"I'm glad you like it," he sees,

"I'm gonna put it rght beside the bear you gave me from the carnival,"

"Oh yeah," Brian says, remembering that night too. 

"See, right here," Jae says as he shows Brian on the call, placing the plane on a shelf beside the bear, and Brian notices the bear wearing his gloves,

"Hey, my gloves!" he says with a laugh,

"Yeah!" Jae replies, laughing too as he explains,

"And your gift is here." and Brian smiles at the box wrapped in wrapping paper different than Dowoon's and ribbon tied into a big bow. 

"This is like your little corner, with things I need to give you" Jae says and his smile appears on screen and Brian wants to throw his phone across the room with a squeal. 

"Your little card was cute too," Jae says and Brian buries his head in his hand,

"No, don't talk about that with me,"

"Why not!" Jae teases,

"'Cause it's embarrassing," Brian says with a chuckle,

"It was really sweet... but my card is better," Jae replies and Brian threatens to hang up on him.

"Your real card," Jae explains in between laughter,

"The one I'm gonna give you with your gift, because the one I gave today was just for the group thing,"

"Oh," Brian says, and wonders if Sungjin got a separate card,

"You're a softie,"

"Me?!" Jae says,

"Junhyeok cried like twice today!"

"Yeah, but we're used to that already, you're like fresh meat," Brian explains and Jae just laughs. 

"But seriously Brian, thank you,' Jae says and takes the model in his hand and holds it near his face,

"I love it," he says, sincerely, with a wide smile and Brian wants to screenshot it but he just remembers it, glad he took a chance and bought Jae a separate gift. 

"You're welcome," he replies with a smile,

"When am I getting mine?" he jokes and Jae rolls his eyes,

"Whenever I see you next!"

"And when is that?"

"Right now if you want," and Brian's tempted to say yes but he knows Jae is joking,

"Hey Jae," he starts and he's about to ask about what he got Sungjin, but realizes Jae hasn't told him about it. If Jae wanted Brian to know, he would've texted him with excitement and keyboard spams like he usually does. 

"Yeah?" 

Brian's curious, but takes the social cues of Jae not mentioning it himself, so he just asks,

"Did you have fun skating today?" 

"Oh, yeah! Definitely!" and that sends Jae off, talking with gestures and everything as if Brian wasn't there with him the whole time. 

"Oh yeah, Bri?" 

"Hm?" he hums in response, lying in bed, tired but not wanting to hang up on Jae.

"Why did Seungmin wanna see you?" if Jae wasn't on video chat, he would've facepalmed himself. He curses himself for not minding his own business, 

"Oh, he gave me this!" Brian says with mild excitement, showing the keychain to Jae,

"Isn't it cute?" 

"Yeah... It looks like you, oddly enough," and Brian laughs,

"That's what Seungmin said!" and Jae notices his fond smile as he looks down at the keychain. 

They're talking about plans for their Christmas break when Brian gets a text,

**SungBro: Hey Bri, you busy rn?**

_Why am I so popular tonight,_

**KangBri: not really, what's up??**

**SungBro: Can we talk?**

Brian repositions himself, not necessarily liking the serious tone of Sungjin's texts,

**KangBri: yeah sure. text, or person?**

**SungBro: I think text should be okay**

"Bri, you still there?" 

"Yeah, sorry just texting Sungjin,"

"Oo! About what?" Jae asks excitedly and Brian lets out a small laugh, 

"Nothing yet, he like just texted me," 

**KangBri: Okay, what's up**

**KangBri: are you okay?**

**SungBro: Yeah, just wanted to talk to you about something**

**KangBri: okay, shoot**

While he's waiting for Sungjin's response, Jae's talking to him about universities he's going to be applying to,

**SungBro: so like**

**SungBro: today, idk if you noticed but Jae and I had the same bag...**

Brian furrows his brows,

**KangBri: didn't notice, but okay? and??**

Jae had the airplane model, it was on his shelf beside Brian's gift, Brian's gloves, the bear from Brian. 

**SungBro: I think you may have slipped a box in my bag by accident**

Brian freezes, no longer listening to Jae's university rant, and he's actually about to tell Jae he has to go when Jae says,

"Oh snap, I should shower, I got morning plans tomorrow,"

"Okay," Brian says,

"Good night Bri! Merry Christmas," he says with a bright smile and Brian gives one back,

"Merry Christmas, Jae, good night!"

After their call ends, he focuses on Sungjin's text conversation.

**KangBri: uh you sure?**

**SungBro: I put it in Jae's, so don't worry I think he got it**

Brian exhales, as Sungjin points out the obvious to him,

**KangBri: so**

**KangBri: What was it you wanted to talk about?**

But he knows his best friend, and he knows his best friend knows him.

**SungBro: You rarely get Christmas gifts for the group**

**SungBro: which is why you love our Secret Santa tradition**

Brian can't deny it,

**SungBro: so...**

**KangBri: just say it**

**SungBro: Do you like Jae?**

Brian stares at the question, one he's barely answered for himself. So, he gets defensive,

**KangBri: I'll answer that if you answer this**

**KangBri: Do you like Wonpil?**

Sungjin doesn't answer, but replies,

**SungBro: Meet me at the park.**

Brian sighs but when he hears Sungjin's front door open, he throws on a sweater and makes his way to the park. When Brian walks up to the park, Sungjin gets up from the swing and Brian knows that they're both tense. 

"Did you have to respond like that?" 

"Like what?"

"Don't act dumb, Bri" Sungjin replies, and Brian sighs in defeat.

"So, is it true, then?" 

"That's not what matters!"

"But it does!" Brian's starting to raise his voice,

"It does because aren't you being unfair?" Sungjin looks at him, almost confused,

"Weeks ago you randomly text me about maybe having feelings for someone and I don't question it, I just listened to you! I didn't ask who it was, I didn't even pry or ask for any more information that what you told me!" 

Sungjin just listens because knows his best friend's tones, and this one isn't anger, it's exhaustion.

"But you see a gift that you weren't even meant to see and all of a sudden it's 'Bri, do you like Jae?'" he scoffs,

"If I _wanted_ someone to know, don't you think _you_ would be the first person I would reach out to? But I can't! I can't reach out to anyone because-"

Brian cuts himself off, knowing if he continued talking, he might expose Jae's feelings.

"Because I can't like anyone Sungjin, you know that." 

Sungjin looks at him apologetically and just hugs him. They've never been one for sincere hugs but Sungjin could tell that this has been bugging Brian for a while, and this is probably the first time he's talked about the situation out loud.

Brian accepts the hug, closing his eyes and calming himself down, simply thankful his best friend knows that he's not angry at him, he's just tired. A few seconds pass before Brian lets out a laugh and says,

"Let go, I don't like it when we're all heartfelt,"

Sungjin lets him go with a smile,

"Sorry, Bri..."

"Nah, me too... I didn't mean to just explode, it's just I never get to talk to anyone about it," 

"You could've told me," Sungjin assures and Brian shakes his head,

_It's not as simple as me liking Jae. Because he likes you, and you like... Who knows._

"Can we pretend like this whole thing tonight didn't happen?" Brian asks, his eyes are pleading and Sungjin doesn't miss a beat when he responds,

"What whole thing tonight?" and Brian smiles before wrapping an arm around Sungjin's shoulders,

"And that is why you're my best friend," and they laugh as they walk back home.

It's only when Brian's in bed, when he realizes although he answered Sungjin's question, Sungjin never answered his. He doesn't bring it up again though because he was the one who asked to pretend like tonight didn't happen. 

**burger kang: where are you???**

**jaepark: i'm literally ON the steps we said we were meeting at!**

**burger kang: okay well that's a lie**

**burger kang: because I'm RIGHT here and I don't see you**

Jae calls him,

"Hello?" Brian answers,

"I'm on the friggin' steps!" Jae yells into the phone,

"And I'm spinning a full 360 and I see you _no where_ ," 

"Well, look harder because I'm right here! At Entrance E!" Brian yells back and Jae freezes,

"Entrance E?" he almost whispers into the phone,

"Yes, the entrance we agreed on last night!" 

Jae quickly scrolls through their text conversation and sure enough, Jae misread their agreed Entrance E as Entrance B and now he's standing on the steps, swirling around like an idiot. 

"Oh," he says in defeat and Brian scoffs,

"You're at the wrong entrance, aren't you?" 

"No," Jae quickly denies while running to get to Entrance E, 

"Gotta go, bye!" and Brian laughs at the abrupt end of their phone call. 

He crosses his arms across his chest with a smile as he watches Jae running towards him, and doubles over in laughter when Jae slips on ice. He jogs up to the boy and helps him up,

"Are you okay?" he says between laughter and Jae's blushing in embarrassment, 

"That's what you get for yelling at me when you went to the wrong entrance," and Jae pushes him off and walks into the mall with Brian close behind, still laughing at Jae's accident.

"Do you wanna get anything to eat?" Brian suggests when they're walking around the mall, 

"Can we get frozen yogurt?" Jae asks with an excited smile and Brian nods, making a mental note of how Jae likes frozen treats even in the winter.

They agreed to meet up today because Jae wanted to give Brian his gifts before the new year began. 

Brian pays for the frozen yogurt, much to Jae's protest and the cashier not knowing whose cash to accept,

"You guys are so cute," she comments as Brian's waiting for his change and Jae went to go get napkins, 

"Pardon?" he says,

"Fighting over who pays, it was so cute," she says and adds,

"You guys look great together," and Brian accept the change with an awkward smile,

"O-Oh no, we're not- we're just friends," he corrects with an uncomfortable chuckle as he looks over at Jae who seems to be struggling with the napkin dispenser. 

_Just friends_

he thinks with a sad smile before the cashier profusely apologizes, saying she should've minded her own business and Brian assures her it's okay before going to help Jae. 

They practically share their flavours, often switching bowls and reaching over to take a spoonful of the other's, 

"Let me buy you lunch," Jae says and Brian laughs, ignoring the way his heart flutters at the words that sound like they're on a date.

"I'm not hungry, we just had frozen yogurt,"

"If you get hungry, tell me because I'm paying this time!" and Brian agrees with no plans of being hungry later on. 

They're walking through the mall with no real destination in mind but they come across a music store, with records and instruments and they go inside. They're looking at the guitars when Jae says,

"Can you play something for me?" which catches Brian by surprise, and he turns to see Jae handing him a beautiful acoustic with a black body. He accepts it and says,

"What song?" he says, sitting on one of the piano benches,

"Any, I just miss your singing voice," and Brian almost hates the way Jae says words that make Brian's heart flutter with such ease.

He plays out a chord progression and sings rather quietly, aware it's a public store, but smiles wide when Jae joins in to harmonize with him. 

Jae watches Brian with a small smile but when he makes eye contact, something starts up the butterflies in his stomach and he smiles even wider, harmonizing quietly and noticing how well their voices mesh together. He watches as Brian plays the guitar with a content smile, his eyes on the frets and strings while Jae can't seem stop staring.

Brian finishes the song with a smile and meets Jae's eyes, and neither of them look away. 

It's a brief moment, but they just stare into each other's eyes, so many unsaid words from Brian because he's always listening, and Jae almost trying to figure something out. They look away at the same time, Jae almost blushing although he won't say why, and Brian's heartrate speeding up as he puts the acoustic guitar back on display, 

"I like the sound," Brian comments, trying to move on from that weird moment that he doesn't want to overthink but it's too late. 

Jae's flustered himself, nodding and just replying,

"Yeah, me too, though I prefer electric," busying himself with the keys of a piano while trying to cool his cheeks. 

They leave the store with compliments from the owner, urging them to come back sometime and perform to which they reply they'll consider it. 

They continue walking and find an arcade and Jae notices Brian's eyes that instantly brighten, and he smiles when he says,

"Let's go inside," and Brian follows close behind with an excited smile.

Brian almost fights Jae when Jae pays for their tokens, saying he'll just get his own and Jae basically throws a fit near the ski ball machines and Brian gives in. 

"Shall we bet?" Jae says and Brian has an evil smile,

"I'm down," and he adds,

"What's the wager?" as he scans around the arcade, choosing the machines and games he's confident he can win the most tickets on.

"Just pride," Jae replies,

"I don't think you have much left after how many times you fell yesterday," and Jae mocks him, making Brian laugh. 

And with that, they start their arcade escapade, starting with a match of air hockey that Brian wins by 1 point, commenting,

"You're just as bad on artificial ice without skates," but his talk doesn't last for long when Jae wins the ski ball match. 

Unknown to the other, throughout the games, they would steal glances at each other - Brian adoring the way Jae sticks out his tongue a bit when he's focusing, and Jae noticing how much Brian smiled, which made him smile too.

They play almost every game in the arcade, making the most of the tokens Jae bought, before going to the ticket counter where they each feed their tickets, both hiding the screen with the total from the other.

"Okay, ready? We'll reveal at the count of 3. 1, 2-"

"Wait, like on 3 or 3 then the next beat reveal?" Brian cuts off and Jae laughs,

"On 3, Bri."

"Okay, okay," and Brian giggles, excited to see who the winner is. 

"Told you I'd win," 

"It was by 2 tickets! That's barely anything to brag about,"

"Are you sure pride was the wager because you still have a lot of it, talking to the winner like that,"

Jae shoves Brian with a roll of his eyes and Brian just laughs, which in turn makes Jae smile.

They go to the prize counter, ready to trade in their tickets for various prizes, when Jae says he has to go to the bathroom. He's quick, but when he returns, he notices that Brian's talking to a little girl. He watches and smiles at how he's crouched down to be at her height, and he can overhear the conversation. 

"Thank you!" she says and Brian ruffles her hair, and Jae notices he's done that to Seungmin various times, and ignores his other thought of why hasn't Brian done it to him?

"No problem, enjoy it, okay?" and that's when Jae notices a big stuffed toy in her arms, 

"Thank you, again, sorry she pestered you," the lady beside the little girl says, and Brian has a gentle smile when he says,

"No, don't worry! It was a cool toy, I'd want it too... Plus, I don't have too much of a need for the prizes,"

Jae waits for the little girl and woman to leave, the little one waving at Brian and he waves back with a dashing smile, before he returns to Brian's side.

"Did you decide on what prizes you want?" Jae says,

"Yeah, but my budget went down," Brian says with a chuckle, 

"Oh, what happened to your tickets?" Jae asks, ready to hear the story of why Brian gave practically half of his tickets to that girl,

"I think I dropped them or something," is the response Jae doesn't expect.

"Huh?" 

"Yeah, I honestly don't know," Brian replies, laughing at how ridiculous that excuse was, but Jae accepts it with a nod.

"Let's share the prizes then," Jae says with a smile, handing Brian his tickets and Brian's eyes light up and immediately says,

"Let's get the cotton candy then!" and Jae watches from behind as Brian goes up to the worker and asks for 2 bags of cotton candy. 

Jae's seen Brian's cold and hard side that didn't hesitate to throw a punch at Kisung, the one that always stood up for Seungmin - the scary knight in shining armour.

And he's just witnessed another side, once again the hero but with a gentle smile, crouching down to meet a little girl at eye level, and getting excited when his reward is large bags of cotton candy.

He's still smiling at Brian, unknowingly, when Brian turns around and says,

"We still have like 600 tickets left, come choose things!" and Jae goes to Brian's side, and it's Brian's turn to stare as Jae ponders on what to use the tickets on. 

Their day at the mall ends with them bussing home together, as Brian didn't drive there. It's rush hour by the time they're heading home, but they manage to find two seats beside each other. 

"Thanks for today, Bri," Jae says with a smile before yawning,

"Thanks for today, Jae," Brian echoes and returns his eyes to the road.

They're near Brian's stop but still far from Jae's when Brian feels Jae's head fall on his shoulder. Brian instantly tenses at the contact and immediately straightens his posture so that Jae's neck won't hurt when he wakes up.

Brian stares at Jae's peaceful face and feels himself blushing and he's just extremely thankful Jae's asleep. When they're approaching Brian's stop, Brian decides to just get off at Jae's stop and let him sleep a bit longer. 

Brian gently shakes him awake when they're getting close to Jae's stop,

"Hm?" Jae says softly, and rubs his eyes before he realizes what he just did,

"Oh, I'm sorry! You missed your stop,"

"It's okay, I'll just walk home from your place," Brian says as he requests for the bus to stop and they get off. 

They say their goodbyes at Jae's house, Brian refusing to part at the bus stop and insisting he walks Jae home. Jae gives Brian his gift, and his gloves which Brian accepts with gratitude. 

On his way home, Brian's smiling to himself like crazy, skipping and bouncing around when he thinks of the little moments he shared with Jae today - but quickly he reminds himself of the reality of things, and he reverts to walking. 

He reminds himself that Jae likes his best friend, Sungjin.

He reminds himself that his role in Jae's life is to help Jae get with Sungjin. 

Brian reminds himself that he's essentially Jae's best friend, and has a sad smile as he looks down at the gift and card, his gloves feeling warming than usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment any thoughts, I'd love to know! thank you for reading. <3


	9. Mayday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @zenkrcovers | kakao: zenaya  
> feel free to message me on either! I'm friendly and enjoy conversation :D

Their winter break concludes with one more hangout for New Years - Jae offers to host, and he's currently freaking out because he's never had friends over for the countdown.

"Jae, honey, we have enough snacks," his mom says and she notices him pacing the kitchen.

"What if we run out?" 

"Then I'll run out and get some," his dad replies, 

"Do we have enough ice? Drinks?"

"Jaehyung," his mom interrupts, grabbing him by his face and smiling, 

"We have everything, just relax and wait for the boys." 

Jae exhales and smiles at his mom,

"I'm so excited to meet them, though!" she says, walking to the living room to sit with Jae's dad,

"Brian is the boy who introduced you to everyone, right?" 

"Yes, the vamire from Halloween,"

The Parks discuss how quickly the year went by, and they're on the topic of Jae's university applications when the doorbell rings.

"Oh my God, they're here," Jae says and his dad laughs,

"Jaehyung, they're your friends. Go answer the door," 

Jae walks up to the door, takes a deep breath and exhales and opens it to reveal the boys. 

"Hey!" Sungjin says first, followed by Wonpil, Junhyeok, Dowoon, and Jae greets each of them and the last one to enter is Brian.

"Hey," Brian says with that dashing smile and Jae almost stutters with his reply of,

"Hi," they look at each other until Jae's mom's voice greets the boys,

"Hello, welcome!" she says with a friendly smile and Brian notices it looks exactly like Jae's. The boys each introduce themselves accompanied by a hug from Jae's mom, and a handshake for Jae's dad.

"Thank you for having us," Sungjin says,

"Oh, thank you guys for coming! Jae was so excited about today, he couldn't stop-"

"Okay, thanks Mom," Jae interrupts, blushing in embarrassment but the boys know Jae's sentiment. 

They head down to the basement, all of them commenting on how nice Jae's house is which he accepts with a thank you. His basement is spacious, a pool table near the back with a shelf that has various board games and the TV situated with bean bags and a couch in front.

"Are you an only child?" Junhyeok asks,

"Yeah, but we would always host the family parties so we needed some entertainment," Jae explains the pool table and the board games.

Brian picks up a cue and twirls it in his hands,

"Do you play?" Brian asks and Jae shakes his head, 

"Barely," he replies,

"My dad does, though," and as if on cue, Jae's dad comes down the stairs with boxes of pizza,

"Oh, do you play, Brian?" 

"I'm not too bad," he answers and Jae knows his dad well enough to know a challenge is coming,

"How about we play a game?"

"Yes sir, anytime," and Jae's dad laughs at the title as he picks up his own cue,

"Oh, right now?" Brian says, surprised and the boys laugh. 

They surround the pool table, watching and placing fake bets as to who's going to win as Brian gets increasingly nervous yet determined.

Jae watches Brian the whole time. Every move he makes, the way his eyes are focused and narrowed, the way he positions his cue, his little smirk each time he sunk a ball in a pocket. It was like he couldn't look away despite Sungjin being right beside him. Not that Jae would ever admit that, of course.

The game ends with Jae's dad winning, just barely, and the boys tease Brian.

"Not too bad?" Jae's dad quotes, and Brian shows a bashful smile,

"I lost, didn't I?" he replies and Jae's dad laughs, patting Brian on the back as he returns the cue to its rack,

"Let's play again sometime," 

"Yes sir!" Brian replies, surprised at the invitation for a next time,

"Don't call me sir, 'Dad' is fine," he says and turns to face the boys with a fond smile,

"That goes for all of you," 

"I can't call you by your first name?" Jae jokes and his dad shakes his head with laughter. 

He goes upstairs at that and they decide to eat the pizza that's gotten slightly cold due to the match they watched.

There's a comedy movie playing in the background as they're indulged in a game of Monolopy. 

"Any New Years resolutions?" Wonpil asks the group, settling as they wait for Brian to roll the dice,

"Make more memories with you guys," Jae says, adding

"And maybe expand my horizons a bit, you know, make some more friends, try new things."

They nod and Sungjin jokes,

"Make new friends? Are we not enough for you?" and they just laugh because they know how much they mean to Jae - he's told them and reminds them. 

"How 'bout you, Kang?" Sungjin prompts and Brian just shrugs,

"Nothing in mind," he admits and they don't press further because his eyes didn't even leave the board when he answered.

Dowoon mentions he wants to practice drumming more, Junhyeok says he, too, wants to focus on music while Wonpil says he wants to begin to read more and Sungjin says he wants to try a new instrument. 

They spend the next few hours watching movies, playing video games, talking and laughing so loud that Jae's parents can hear them from their room on the 3rd floor, smiling because Jae is surrounded by good boys who include him, who want to welcome the new year with their son. 

"Have you guys ever had a New Year's kiss?" Jae asks, out of nowhere, and everyone turns to him with wide eyes,

"Yeah, every year" Dowoon answers casually,

"Excuse me, what?!" Junhyeok practically yells, and Dowoon has a mischievous smile as he elaborates,

"At midnight, I always kiss my dog," and Junhyeok groans before slapping him in the arm.

"Why did you get so worked up?" Brian teases with a knowing smile - the group knew they liked each other and was just waiting for the official announcement, it was obvious.

"I didn't get worked up," Junhyeok says and Jae laughs,

"Your cheeks say otherwise," Dowoon joins in and Junhyeok just pouts while Dowoon has a fond smile, poking Junhyeok's side an an attempt to make him laugh.

No one else answers Jae's question, and he doesn't even know why he asked in the first place - ignoring the fact that he wanted to hear not only Sungjin's answer, but Brian's too. 

It's approaching midnight, but the group is asleep. Except for Brian and Jae, who are conversing in a whisper about the movie whose volume has decreased and their whispers mingle with the soft snores.

"We should wake them up, the countdown is going to start," Jae says and Brian nods, going to gently shake Wonpil awake while Jae does the same to Sungjin.

"Guys, the countdown is soon," Brian says at a volume just above a whisper and there's a bunch of groans and Sungjin says,

"I don't care, I'm tired," 

"Me too, just wake me up after," Wonpil adds,

"If you don't care why did we agree to countdown as a group then!" Brian says with slight irritation,

"You guys are gonna miss the countdown." Jae says to the other 2 boys on the ground, but he already knows they're not getting up because Junhyeok looks too comfortable snuggled next to Dowoon with the boy's arm around him.

Dowoon and Junhyeok just hum in response, no one opening their eyes to even spare Jae and Brian a glance.

"You guys are the worst," Brian says before shaking his head with an amused smile and settling back down beside Jae on the couch.

"Guess we'll just let them be," Jae suggests, smiling at Brian.

The countdown is about to start and they waiting in comfortable quiet when Brian asks,

"Have you ever had a New Year's kiss?" which surprises Jae, but he shakes his head with flushed cheeks,

"No," he answers,

"You?" and Brian, too, shakes his head,

"Nope," 

"Really?" Jae says, and Brian scoffs,

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Kind of, honestly."

"I've never dated, I don't date," Brian reminds,

"Yeah, I know. But kissing doesn't necessarily mean you're dating, right?" Jae responds, and it's only then that they notice the lack of distance between their faces.

They just stare at each other in silence,

"Right." Brian answers as the countdown on the TV starts. 

"10! 9! 8!" comes from the TV, and as the numbers get lower, the distance between them gets smaller. Jae doesn't move away, he's actually moving closer as he notices Brian doing the same, his eyes fixated on the other's lips. 

"3! 2! 1!" 

Brian's about to close the distance, but they hear footsteps run down the stairs and they instantly jump and pull apart. Jae's blushing furiously and Brian's doing the same, trying to cool himself by fanning his hand.

"Happy New Year!" Jae's mom says, excitedly and with a noisemaker in her hand, and the boys who were sleeping wake up.

"Happy New Year, Mrs. Park," they say, tired and groggy,

"Jaehyung, why didn't you wake the boys!" she scolds and Jae stutters on his answer, flustered and eyes unfocused,

"I tr- We tried! They didn't want to!" he says with a forced chuckle,

"Oh well... Happy New Year, boys!" 

"Happy New Year," they say again, and then again to each other once they finally sit up, Junhyeok stretching and falling back into Dowoon's arms, ignoring the teasing "aw"s that Sungjin and Wonpil say.

"Hey Jae, you okay?" Sungjin says as the rest of the boys are cleaning up their makeshift bed,

"Huh?" Jae's eyes refocus on Sungjin's concerned face - Right, I like Sungjin.

"Oh yeah, I'm okay!" he forces out a laugh and gets up from the couch that he didn't realize Brian left a while ago, moving to help Wonpil fold some blankets,

"Was just thinking about something," 

"You sure?" 

"Yeah, thanks," he assures with a small smile and Sungjin nods, going back to help Wonpil. 

When they finish cleaning up the floor, the boys pile back on to the couch, Jae and Brian on opposite ends with the rest in the middle.

"I can't believe you slept through the countdown," Brian says,

"To be fair, Jae's floor is really comfortable," Sungjin says, yawning, and Dowoon nods in agreement.

"Yeah but we agreed to hang out to welcome the new year together,"

"We did! We woke up right when Jae's mom came down. I didn't even hear you and Jae count down, I only heard his mom greeting us," Wonpil replies and Jae gets flustered again. 

They did countdown aloud, not loud enough to wake up the boys, but just loud enough so that they heard each other with each millimetre they grew closer and who knows what would've happened if they got to 0 without interruption.

They discuss other plans for New Years, and all of them dreading going back to school. Jae can't help but steal glances at Brian every now and again, wondering how he's talking like nothing happened - but then again, nothing happened. But Jae wonders what could have happened.

Considering the time, the boys decide it's time to clean everything up and head home, Junhyeok being their driver. Brian brings the pizza boxes upstairs, and Jae follows a few moments later with their glasses and notices Brian talking with his dad. Jae places the glasses in the sink and is about to start washing when Brian interrupts,

"I'll wash those," he offers and takes the gloves from Jae, and sudden closeness causing Jae to blush again,

"O-Okay," he walks away quickly, going back to the basement as the conversation between Brian and his dad resumes.

Jae scolds himself, wondering why he can't stop thinking about what just happened while Brian seems completely fine, why he blushes just being near Brian while Brian can just go up to him and wash the dishes like it's nothing. When Jae gets downstairs, he's muttering to himself as he cleans up the billiard table and doesn't even notice Sungjin watching him. 

Upstairs, Jae's dad has left Brian and now, Brian's mentally beating himself for even thinking he could kiss Jae - he likes Sungjin. But the thought of Jae moving in closer too and fluttering his eyes closed nags at Brian as he cleans the glass, furiously, getting soap suds everywhere. He thinks a string of curses and rinses the rest of the glasses before leaning on the kitchen counter for a bit, just thinking. Thinking about how everything is practically ruined because he couldn't keep it together for a countdown. He blames Jae's question of a New Years kiss, and Jae himself saying just because people kiss, it doesn't mean they're dating. He blames himself for agreeing and not restraining the urge to lean forward and kiss him. Then he thinks of Jae's mom, what she saw because she came down those stairs fast, and Brian concludes this is the worst start to the New Year.

He walks down to the basement, slowly, to find the boys collecting their things and getting ready to leave.

They're in the front foyer as Jae and his parents are sending them off, saying "Happy New Year"s, "thank you for having us" and "come back anytime!"s. The boys each hug Jae, and Jae smiles at the warm hug Sungjin gives but when it's Brian's turn, his heart races like crazy. 

They all pile into Junhyeok's car, when Brian realizes he forgot his keys and rushes back to the house and is about to doorbell when it swings open and he's met with Jae's face,

"Bri!-" he gets cut off in surprise, and once again their faces are close and Brian's thankful the front door can't be seen from the driveway.

"Thanks," Brian says, receiving the fox keychain from Jae and the latter just nods. 

"Happy New Year," Jae says as Brian goes to leave, and Brian gives his classic dashing smile back in response,

"Happy New Year, Jae..." he's walking to the car but Jae is still standing in the doorway, just watching, when Brian turns around and says,

"I'm sorry about earlier." and his eyes convey his sincerity, and Jae just nods awkwardly, not responding as Brian puts on a sad smile and walks back to the car.

Jae finds himself wondering what Brian's sorry about - is he sorry he moved in closer or is he sorry because he didn't close the distance?

Jae shuts the door, his heart thumping and he closes his eyes as he lets out a sigh. When he opens them he sees his mom, her eyes telling him they have something to talk about and Jae gets nervous.

"Jae, it's okay if you do," she comforts,

"I don't like Brian!" Jae says, hands up in defeat,

"I saw you two!" 

"That-he-" he stumbles on words, having no explanation for himself,

"I-I don't even know what that was, and I don't like him, and he doesn't like me," he says, thinking about the way Brian ran back for the keychain Seungmin gave him.

Jae and his parents have always been close, as he was the only child, and before this school year, he was never busy with friends.

"I like Sungjin, Mom!" he says, hoping that'll get them off the topic. But he sounds like he's trying to remind himself, reassure himself that his feelings are for Sungjin and not for the boy who's supposed to be helping him get with Sungjin.

"Oh," she says, genuinely surprised,

"So can we not talk about what you saw with Brian?" 

"Okay," and she gives him a warm hug,

"Sorry for pushing, Jaehyung-ah," and he hugs her back, 

"It's okay,"

"So you like Sungjin, huh?" she says with a smile and Jae rolls his eyes with a laugh,

"Good night, Mom," he says, already walking to the stairs and she laughs in reply and says,

"Happy New Year," and Jae echoes before walking up the stairs to his room.

He flops on to his bed and stares at the teddy bear Brian passed to him without thought at the fair. He keeps thinking about Brian, although he doesn't want to, but each time the image of Brian's face being so close pops up in his mind, he thrashes in his bed and lets out a groan. 

Brian's being kept awake as he keeps scolding himself, punching his pillow in frustration, muttering "why, why, why! stupid Brian" to himself. More than the fact that he leaned in for a kiss, Brian's fixated on the fact that Jae also got closer and didn't tell Brian to stop or move away. 

You cannot like Jae. 

He reminds himself of reasons more than just Jae liking Sungjin. Brian looks at the gift Jae had gotten him for Christmas, it's on his desk beside the card, and Brian smiles habitually at the books Jae got him. Brian mentioned sometime earlier in their friendship that he wanted to read more, to learn more from stories regardless of fiction or its counterpart. Jae got him 2 books along with new guitar strings, mentioning in his card that he wants to continue to hear Brian sing. 

When Jae is a person who pays attention to such details and remembers them, Brian wonders how he can't like him - and how Jae could be so oblivious to his feelings that he's gotten horrible at hiding.

After that incident, they don't text regularly and Brian doesn't reach out first because he blames himself for crossing the line in the first place. School starts up again and the boys hang out like usual, and when Dowoon and Junhyeok tell the group they're dating with shy smiles and almost no eye contact with the group, they go to Dowoon's convenience store despite the cold.

Even as the days pass and get warmer, Jae and Brian are still not back to how they were before.

Brian and Jae's relationship now consists of decent conversations and stolen glances that neither of them think the other notices. They hate it, but they don't know how to change it. Brian is frustrated with himself because he's supposed to be at Jae's side while he pursues Sungjin, and Jae's annoyed because he can't approach someone who he considers his best friend. It's gotten better since New Years, but Brian doesn't shove him playfully like he used to, and Jae doesn't text him daily. 

As if their tense situation wasn't a bad enough, Brian's sitting at his desk one night, doing an assignment, when his phone buzzes.

SungBro: Bri!!

KangBri: yeh?

SungBro: I have exciting news

SungBro: Gonna tell the group tomorrow but I wanna tell you first

Brian shifts in his seat, having a feeling of what Sungjin's about to say

Sungjin sends a photo of him and someone, that Brian can already guess, holding hands, accompanied by a shushing emoji.

SungBro: don't tell anyone yet!

And he wants to tell Jae so bad - to save him from what's going to hit him tomorrow, yet he types the reply,

KangBri: Oh wow

KangBri: happy for you!! 

KangBri: Don't worry, I won't tell anyone

Brian tosses his phone on his bed and buries his head in his arms, groaning and doesn't check his phone even when it sounds, notifying him of Sungjin's reply.

He's not on comfortable speaking terms with Jae after New Years, and now that they're official, Brian wonders if he should've told Jae when he saw the signs - when they were walking together at night, when Sungjin didn't answer his question, even when they fell asleep at Jae's house.

And once again, Brian's left alone with his worries, unable to tell anyone as he just waits for tomorrow. Will they announce it on the slope? At lunch in the music room? After school as it's Wonpil's turn to pick where they eat?

The next morning, the group walks up the slope like normal, and lunch goes by like it usually does. It's after school in the restaurant that Wonpil is a regular at when Brian tenses up as Sungjin says,

"Hey guys, I gotta tell you something."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment any of your thoughts, I'd love to read them! thank you for reading.


	10. Stable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WOW I'VE MESSED UP THE ORDER LMFAO SORRY I FIXED IT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @zenkrcovers | kakao: zenaya  
> feel free to message me on either! I'd really friendly and would love to make some MyDay pals :D

The table settles down at Sungjin's voice and Brian's eyes focus on his chopsticks, refusing to look up at his best friend or Jae. Jae shoves one more spoonful of rice and pork belly into his mouth before setting his spoon down to listen to Sungjin.

The boy exhales and reaches under the table before revealing his fingers that are intertwined with Wonpil's.

"We're dating," he says with a nervous smile and Wonpil's blushing like crazy. 

Jae stops chewing for a moment and Brian can see that halt of movement in the corner of his eyes and he almost winces when he looks to his side to see Jae's surprised expression. 

It's quiet and Sungjin looks at Brian, as if prompting the appropriate response from his best friend and Brian can't back away from that role now, so he can't look at Jae when he says,

"Congratulations, guys!" with a huge smile.

Dowoon and Junhyeok congratulate the couple right after and Jae does too, glad his mouth is full so that he has an excuse for the mumble. Jae gives a small smile and just listens as he continues to eat while the group asks about how Sungjin and Wonpil got together.

"I think I started liking him first," Wonpil admits with a bashful smile, and Junhyeok laughs, looks at Dowoon and replies,

"I relate." 

"How would you know that, I'm the one who technically made the first move," Sungjin comments and Dowoon stares at Junhyeok,

"I relate." he echoes, and they go back and forth, talking about how they knew they liked each other, since when, and Jae just listens to the answers, laughing and smiling sometimes just out of courtesy. Brian, too, laughs and smiles at the conversation but he's more worried about the boy beside him who's been picking at the same piece of tofu for a couple of minutes. 

Their after school meal ends with some teasing over the new couple within their friend group, Dowoon and Junhyeok commenting that they're glad the attention is off them now. Jae parts first, saying goodbye with a smile and Brian watches him walk away and Sungjin notices. 

Brian ends up walking home with Sungjin and Wonpil, the two holding hands freely with excited smiles and Brian smiles because his best friend looks sincerely happy. 

"Bri, you okay?"

"Yeah, why?" 

"You look spaced out," 

"Oh sorry, just thinking about something," Brian replies,

"Thinking about how you should date someone?" Wonpil teases and Brian shakes his head,

"You two are ridiculous, I can't blieve I agreed to third wheel this whole walk home," Brian replies with a laugh,

"Don't feel left out, Bri," Sungjin comforts,

"If you want, we can all hold hands," he jokes, extending a hand to Brian and earns a laugh from both of them.

Brian says bye to them and has a sad smile as he watches them enter Sungjin's house before he goes inside his own.

Jae's laying on his bed, just staring at the ceiling. When Sungjin announced him and Wonpil were dating, Jae expected something more from himself. Expected a definitive sadness, an explicit unhappiness, something more concrete and coherent than this confusion he was experiencing.

The reality of the situation is, Jae isn't that sad. 

When he saw Sungjin and Wonpil holding hands, he went quiet because he didn't know why he didn't feel so much. When they were talking about how they liked each other since before Halloween, where Jae felt so happy when Sungjin held his hand, even before the day Jae went over to Sungjin's house and Jae thought maybe they had a moment, Jae only smiled because he was rather okay with it. Jae left the group first because he needed to figure out what was going on within himself, not necessarily because he didn't want to see Sungjin and Wonpil hold hands anymore.

**burger kang: Jae**

**burger kang: are you okay??**

Jae looks at his phone and wants to reply "yes. and idk why" but he decides he'd rather not talk to Brian at the moment. 

Even Brian is a huge question mark to him right now. Jae thinks he'd feel more upset, especially because at the beginning of the school year, Jae liked Sungjin so much that he befriended Brian to get close to Sungjin. And he succeeded, he got close to Sungjin, even closer to Brian.

Jae's sad, because he truly did like Sungjin - he catches himself thinking in past tense and wonders when exactly did he stop? When the end began is something Jae can't decipher but he shakes his head when he recalls the amount of times Brian's made his heart swell. 

He decides to do some reading, indulge in a fiction because his reality is too confusing right now. But in between the lines of the novel, Jae wonders if he was irrational to get excited when Sungjin held his hand and guided him in the Haunted House. Was he stupid for buying him a separate gift? Was he delusional for thinking maybe Sungjin was interested in him too? If Sungjin liked Wonpil this whole time, what did he see Jae as? All these questions just adding to the confusion and frustration.

Meanwhile, Brian shakes his leg as he thinks about what he should do. He concludes that Jae is probably so upset right now, so sad that he stopped talking at the restaurant and left as soon as they said goodbye. 

Regardless of Brian's feelings for Jae, and Jae's own for Sungjin, Brian concludes he's his best friend and with that thought, he grabs the truck keys, a couple of things and is off.

"Oh, hello Brian!" Jae's mom answers the door, surprise soon turning into a welcoming smile,

"Hi Mrs. Park," he says with a polite smile and bow,

"Is Jae home?"

"If he's not out with you guys, he is always home," she says, laughing,

"Do you want me to get him for you while you wait inside?" 

"Oh, it's okay, I can wait out here," he says and she asks him if he's sure before calling Jae from the bottom of the stairs. 

"Jaehyung-ah!" 

"What?" Brian hears the muffled reply and smiles, 

"Come down here!" she says, and they hear a door open and footsteps going down the stairs before slowing to a stop. 

They meet each other's eyes and Brian shows him a warm smile,

"Bri?" 

"Hey," he says, awkwardly scratching his nape,

"You weren't answering my texts," and with that Jae's mom looks at Jae with a knowing smile before walking away and Jae rolls his eyes, meeting Brian at the door,

"Yeah, sorry... I just didn't really wanna talk to anyone." he admits with a sorry smile,

"Understandable,"

The silence is tense,

"So, what are you doing here?" Jae asks with an amused chuckle,

"Could I borrow you for an hour or two?"

" _Borrow_ me?"

"Yeah yeah, don't worry I'll return the goods undamaged and with a receipt for proof of transaction if that comforts you," Brian jokes and Jae laughs sincerely.

He missed joking like this with him.

Brian looks up at him with an expectant smile before Jae yells,

"Mom, Dad! I'll be back, just gonna hang out with Brian!" and upon hearing a unison,

"Okay, have fun, be safe!" they're out the door. 

Jae doesn't know where he expected to go with Brian, but it wasn't the airport.

"What're we doing here?" Jae says, getting out of the truck with Brian and Brian smiles at him before reaching in the back seat, grabbing some blankets and pillows and tossing them in the back.

"We're gonna watch airplanes land and take off," he replies, climbing into the back and offering Jae a helping hand up, 

"And we're gonna watch them until the sun sets and you can see the stars so that you don't think about anything but the thing you love," Brian says, settling into a position he deems comfortable.

Jae stares at him in awe, Brian focused on adjusting a pillow so that his head is propped up to watch the planes. When he catches Jae staring, he's surprised the latter doesn't look away because ever since New Years it's just been stolen glances and wary eye contact.

"Do you not want to?" Brian asks, and Jae admires his face for a bit longer before showing Brian a smile so wide and pure Brian blushes,

"I'd love to." he answers and lays down next to Brian. 

The sky is a burnt orange but it's clear as Jae names the models that come to a smooth landing, talking to Brian about the advantages, special features and setbacks that each model might have. Brian feels at peace with Jae talking about planes, he hasn't heard it in a while. 

Despite the warm blankets, Jae shivers and Brian thinks for a while before he slips off his hoodie,

"You can wear it," he says, handing it to Jae,

"Aren't you cold?"

"Nah, these blankets are warm enough," Brian replies but it wasn't the blankets that caused his face to heat up, it wasn't the polyester and cotton that made his cheeks red. 

When Jae puts the hoodie on, he smiles at how warm it is already from Brian's use, and the faint smell of his cologne. 

Jae wasn't that sad to begin with, but being here at the airport, watching the planes, Jae's never felt happier. 

The sun's setting when Jae's about to thank Brian but when he turns, Brian's sleeping peacefully, blanket up to his chin and his lips slightly parted to allow a soft snore. He smiles at him - not just because he looks cute and peaceful, but because Brian went out of his way to pick up Jae and take him to the airport. 

Jae's reflecting on the fact that Brian's method to cheer him up was to take him to watch what he loved most. He didn't even mention Sungjin, just swept him away to watch the sky, even brought pillows and blankets for comfort. 

Truth be told, it's rather romantic. Jae's always read about or watched movie scenes where the perfect date included watching the sun set, but it wasn't just the sun setting, Brian took him to the airport. They're not doing much, just laying beside each other and watching the sky darken as planes fly overhead, and despite the chill breeze Jae feels warm. Jae smiles before turning to face Brian as he feels his eyelids grow heavy, the sound of a plane engine soaring above them fading as he falls asleep. 

Brian wakes up to the sky already dark, the blurred blinking lights of the runway clearing as he gains awareness and sits up. Jae's still sleeping beside him and he lightly shakes him awake,

"Jae," he whispers, and Jae hums in response,

"Wake up, I gotta get you home," and Jae stretches with a yawn, eyes still not open,

"Oh, another one is landing," Brian's voice and the sound of an approaching engine is what causes Jae to sit up. 

They watch as it descends onto the runway and Brian shivers, the lack of the sun making the night colder and the blankets aren't warm enough. Jae notices and moves in closer, bringing a blanket with him, the lack of distance providing warmth.

"Can we watch a few more?" Jae asks, and Brian gives in with a smile,

"Just a few more, it's getting late," and Jae agrees.

They just watch the next few planes in comfortable silence,

"Hey Bri?" Jae breaks it,

"Hm?"

"Thank you." 

Brian smiles and nods, all the unsaid things Jae's thankful for he acknowledges with,

"Of course." 

They stay beside each other for a few more minutes before deciding to leave, both of them shivering at the cold when they leave the blankets and each other's presence. They put the blankets and pillows in the back seat and Brian begins the drive to Jae's home.

They don't get home too late, and Brian walks Jae to his doorstep despite parking in the driveway. 

"Oh right," Jae says, slipping off the hoodie and handing it back to Brian,

"Thank you for tonight, Bri. I mean it," and he's about to respond when Jae's dad sees them talking from the kitchen,

"Oh, is that Brian?" he asks,

"Yeah," Jae answers,

"Invite him in, why are you letting him stand outside!" Jae's mom joins and Jae rolls his eyes with a groan as his mom makes her way to her son's side.

"Come in, sweetie, have you two eaten yet?" 

And that's how they end up having a late dinner with Jae's parents, and it's not as awkward or tense as Brian or Jae anticipated. 

"So Brian, do you have a girlfriend?" 

"Mom," Jae's voice is stern. 

Brian chokes on his Coke, coughing before clearing his throat,

"You can't just ask that, Mom," Jae scolds, visibly upset,

"No I don't," Brian says with an awkward chuckle,

"Boyfriend?"

"Mom!" 

Brian shakes his head in response, looking at Jae with an awkward smile and nodding, as if telling him it's okay.

"Do you like-"

"Dad! Make her stop!" Jae interrupts, 

"Honey, I think that's enough," Jae's dad says, placing a hushing hand on her's.

"Sorry sorry, I'm just used to Jae being so open with me, that was rude of me," she says,

"It's fine," Brian assures with a small smile.

"So, how are the boys?" his dad switches the subject and Brian responds,

"They're good, nothing new,"

"Except Sungjin and Wonpil are dating now," Jae says, catching all of them off guard. Brian looks at him with lips slightly parted in surprise, Jae's eyes down on his plate,

"Oh," his mom says, recalling when Jae admitted he liked Sungjin.

"Oh, Dowoon and Junhyeok too," he adds, before putting a spoonful of food in his mouth and chewing.

The table is quiet and Brian doesn't know how to pick up conversation, and apparently no one does because they finish eating in silence, Brian offering to wash the dishes to which Jae's parents refuse.

"Sorry about my mom at dinner," Jae says, leaning against the doorway and Brian's outside,

"Don't worry about it," he replies with a smile.

"Jae, are you okay?" Brian asks, recalling the incident at dinner and Jae says,

"Yeah," so quickly and naturally that Brian wonders if he knows what he said.

"Okay." he decides not to push further,

"Good night, Bri, and thank you for tonight!"

Brian laughs lightly as he ruffles Jae's hair and the latter's eyes go wide,

_He did it._

"You already thanked me enough," he replies, with a sweet smile that makes Jae's heart race,

"Good night, Jae!" he adds before walking backwards to his truck, still smiling at Jae,

"Text me when you get home!" and Brian nods before turning around. 

Jae closes the door with a smile, immediately going up to his room, knowing his mom will probably come up later to talk about Sungjin, and Brian.

When Brian gets home, he returns the blankets and pillows to their original spot and heads to his room.

**burger kang: I'm home**

He smiles as he hits send because it's been a while since they've texted. 

**jaepark: glad you got home safely!**

**burger kang: I'm a good driver, of course I did**

**jaepark: you're not the only one on the road, Bri Bri**

**burger kang: look at you, concerned for my safety**

**jaepark: meh, somewhat**

**burger kang: ouch. next time you can watch planes land by yourself**

Jae laughs at his phone screen before sending the photo he took of Brian while he was sleeping. The picture is actually really nice, Brian looking peaceful and the setting sun allowing his skin to appear golden,

**jaepark: I DID because someone fell asleep**

Brian smiles at his screen, the photo Jae took of him was rather cute and had it been in other circumstances, romantic. 

**burger kang: YOU FELL ASLEEP TOO**

**burger kang: I HAD TO WAKE YOU UP**

**jaepark: ok but I'm the airplane enthusiast, I'm allowed**

**burger kang: ???**

**burger kang: that's literally the reason you SHOULDN'T HAVE fallen asleep**

**jaepark: okay anyway!**

And they continue texting into the night, only saying good night because they have school tomorrow and then they're left alone with their thoughts.

Brian reflects on Jae looking sad at dinner when he mentioned Sungjin and sighs. When they were watching airplanes and Brian woke up before Jae, seeing the boy's peaceful face that looked just slightly troubled caused Brian to make a decision - that being, he'll back down. Brian decided that he'll stick to the role of Jae's best friend and won't push the boundaries of that. He'll try his best to see Jae like he sees Seungmin - someone precious, but nothing more than a close friend. So even when Jae moved in closer when Brian got cold, Brian didn't close the distance. When his parents invited him for dinner, he tried to think of it as nothing more than them taking care of their son's friend, sure they would've done the same for Sungjin, Wonpil, Dowoon or Junhyeok. When Jae thanked him with a radiant smile, instead of blushing, Brian did what he usually does with Seungmin and just ruffled his hair with a chuckle. He reminds himself for, what feels like, the hundredth time:

_You cannot like Jae. You cannot date Jae._

Brian resolves that he'll do what he can: be by his side as a friend. He won't make advances, and he won't think anything of Jae's actions - ruling them platonic.

Jae's still smiling even when their text conversation comes to an end and he thinks for a while. He was somewhat sad about the Sungjin and Wonpil news, but this night with Brian made him forget everything. Until his mom started being nosy, and even he doesn't know why he snapped at dinner but he did. He hates how indecisive he's being right now - how he went from being upset about Sungjin at dinner to smiling like crazy when Brian ruffled his hair for the first time. He also dislikes how he didn't admit the butterflies in his stomach, the way his heart would swell and cheeks would flush when Brian would do something. So, he finally accepts the reality that he's not all that sad about Sungjin because of Brian. Not just because he swept him away to the airport, but even before then - the little things like his smile, his singing voice, his kindness that he never takes credit for.

Jae resolves that he'll remain open to the possibility of him actually liking Brian, and to maybe try and pursue him romantically.

And like that, the two boys are seemingly set on their own resolves that couldn't be more dissonant for the harmony each of them wish to create.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment any thoughts, I'd love to know! thank you for reading.


	11. Gliding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @zenkrcovers | kakao: zenaya  
> feel free to message me on either, I'd love to make MyDay friends! :D  
> also, this is now updated with its original text on AFF so no more daily updates lol

Ever since their night at the airport, Brian and Jae's friendship begun reverting to its original comfort and playfulness. Jae's happy because he's missed this friendship and it allows him time to think that maybe he really does like Brian, Brian's happy because he thinks he's succeeding in remaining platonic. 

That was Brian's resolution - to try and keep things between him and Jae as platonic as possible. He's aware there's a fine line between best friends and significant others but he told himself he would confidently hop down from that tightrope and stay on the friendship side. No more wavering, no hoping for something more because Jae's heart was elsewhere. Brian knew this. Brian had that conversation with himself.

So, being aware of his resolution and his efforts to keep it, he's wondering why at this moment Jae's lips have met his own.

Earlier today, Jae and Brian were hanging out with the boys. Today is Valentine's Day, and considering half of their group was dating each other, they didn't want Jae and Brian to feel left out. As if Sungjin himself inviting Jae to their essential double date didn't make things even less enjoyable, the pity for both Jae and Brian was slightly irritating.

"This is totally how I imagined spending my Valentine's Day," Jae says with a groan from the passenger seat,

"How did you picture it?"

"I don't know, maybe some chocolates, a cute date, flowers? Anything, really, other than joining a double date with no date." and Brian laughs,

"At least I'm coming with you,"

"Oh, if you weren't going, I wouldn't go. No chance, nope." and Brian smiles,

"Do we have to go?" Jae asks, his tone almost begging Brian to turn the car around,

"We already said we were going, plus they're waiting at the theatre," Brian says, 

"Okay, I get them wanting to include us, but a movie? They couldn't choose something more, I don't know, bright and loud?" 

Brian laughs because Jae actually seems irritated,

"Are you that annoyed?"

"Yes, because today is Valentine's Day and our friends' effort to not make us feel lonely is backfiring because now we're just gonna be fifth wheeling the whole day!"

"Tell you what, if it really gets bad and boring, we'll ditch," Brian says, and Jae looks at him but his eyes are focused on the road,

"Really?" he says, slightly excited and Brian nods,

"You're not the only one fifth wheeling, so yeah... That's why I said I'd drive us when Junhyeok offered," he says and Jae laughs and says,

"What'll be our excuse?" 

"You have a family emergency," 

"Why me?"

"Fine, I can have the family emergency but good luck explaining to them why I need to take you with me," 

"Oh," Jae says and Brian smiles victoriously,

"Okay, deal... I bet we'll have to ditch during the movie,"

"No, after," Brian says, as if offended and Jae looks at him confused,

"I am not paying for a ticket and not watching the whole thing. Your family emergency can wait till they offer going to eat out," 

"How do you know we're gonna eat out?"

"To them, it's still Valentine's Day. They couldn't end the day without a meal, Jae, c'mon," and Jae nods. 

"I just don't get why we had to be included in their plans," Jae says, sighing and leaning against the window,

"My favourite part was them trying to pretend like it's not Valentine's Day," and Jae laughs lightly,

"Right? And them trying to act like they didn't plan it beforehand," Brian laughs, recalling Junhyeok and Dowoon finishing each other's sentences when trying to invite him and later finding out Sungjin said the exact same thing to Jae.

"As long as they don't make out in the theatre, it won't be too bad," Brian says and Jae lets out an exaggerated gag,

"I didn't need that mental image, thank you," 

"Which couple did you picture?" Brian jokes and Jae slaps his arm, earning a laugh from the latter,

"You're ridiculous,"

"But you love it,"

"I do not," Jae protests, 

"Your smile says otherwise," Brian counters and Jae instantly frowns,

"Eyes on the road." and the rest of the car ride is quiet of conversation with Brian wearing a content smile and Jae jamming to the radio.

"Hey, are you gonna be okay?" Brian asks after they park and exit his car,

"Yeah... Why wouldn't I be?" Jae replies just as they see Sungjin and Wonpil holding hands, Junhyeok and Dowoon in front of them doing the same thing.

"Right." Brian says, and they end that conversation there, greeting the couples with smiles as they pick up their tickets and get snacks. The seating, from left to right, is Brian, Jae, Sungjin, Wonpil, Dowoon and Junhyeok, and Jae thinks _'of course'_ when he settles into his seat between Brian and Sungjin. The couples bought their own popcorn and pop to share, while Brian and Jae do the same - both of them agreeing that it makes to share a large drink with 2 straws as opposed to separate drinks.

The movie is pretty good, Jae and Brian pretty invested in the plot, but Jae can't help but notice, out of the corner of his eye, Sungjin and Wonpil don't stop holding hands, and Sungjin feeding Wonpil popcorn with a loving smile.

When the credits roll and the lights turn back on, the group exits the theatre,

"Okay, when they start talking about going out to eat, check your phone and pretend like something happened," Brian whispers in his ear and Jae almost freezes at the closeness. 

Upon receiving a nod, Brian goes to throw out their empty cup and popcorn bag. Sure enough, like Brian predicted in the car, Wonpil mentions going somewhere to eat and Brian's just waiting for Jae to-

"Oh man..." Brian contains his laughter as Jae looks at his phone screen,

"Guys, sorry I have to go," Jae says, his voice slightly shaking and his eyes slightly teary to which Brian gives a mental applause for his acting. The rest of the group looks sincerely concerned, 

"Is everything okay, Jae?" Brian asks, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder,

"I don't- I'm not sure... Sorry Bri, can you take me home?" 

"Yeah yeah, of course," he says and Jae turns to the group again,

"Sorry guys, family stuff,"

"No, don't apologize! Let us know if everything's okay" Wonpil comforts, his eyebrows furrowed in worry,

"Brian, get Jae home safe," Sungjin says, and Junhyeok adds,

"Don't worry about coming back Bri, just make sure Jae's okay," and Brian gives a determined nod before grabbing Jae's arm and they jog to the car.

They enter Brian's car, laughing,

"Holy, you can act!" Brian comments as he inserts the key and starts the car,

"At least now there'll be no suspicion," 

"Oh of course not, no one's gonna question those tears of yours," Brian replies with an impressed smirk and Jae turns on the radio with a laugh as they exit the theatre parking lot.

"Are you really taking me home?" Jae says after a few minutes, slightly embarrassed he even asked but finds comfort in Brian's bright smile,

"Nah, the night is young. Let's enjoy Valentine's Day as singles," and Jae blushes just barely as he smiles. 

There was something about escaping that suffocating 'group hang out' with Brian that made Jae feel so excited - so happy that Brian was by his side with that dashing smile and controlled carelessness. They drive until they're confident they're far enough to not be spotted and find a strip of little shops, cafes and other activities where they can walk down. Brian excuses himself for a bathroom break and Jae's looking at various sweaters, ignoring the couples in matching outfits that surround him. It's been a couple of minutes now and Jae decides to look around the store to see if he just lost Brian amongst the other customers.

"There you are, you took so long-"

Jae stops talking when he notices Brian holding flowers and chocolate, extending them to the latter,

"Yeah sorry, the line was pretty long." he comments casually,

"Thought it was pretty sucky you spent Valentine's Day fifth wheeling with one of the couples being your crush, so," Brian says with an awkward smile,

"Happy Valentine's Day," and Jae's too busy staring at the boy, jaw slacked and more amazed than flattered.

Once again, Brian thought of how to cheer Jae up and just like the night at the airport, Jae isn't even sad about Sungjin because he's pretty sure where his heart lies now. Brian's red with embarrassment and he looks away, letting out a strained chuckle,

"It's pretty weird to accept these, right? Sorry-"

Jae takes them from him with a smile, and looks him in the eyes for a few moments,

"Thank you, Brian."

Brian clears his throat, _keep it platonic_ , he reminds himself - as if giving flowers and chocolate to someone on Valentine's Day is for friends - and they're out on the sidewalks of the strip as the sun sets. Jae's holding the flowers and chocolates close while Brian's scanning the area for something fun to do. Jae notices various people looking at them, whispering amongst each other, 

_They look like models_

_Do you think they're dating?_

_They look so good together!_

_Did he get him those flowers, that's so romantic!_

He doesn't really like the attention, but there's a small smile on his face as he thinks about the possibility of being together with Brian.

Maybe it's because Jae's focused on the flowers and chocolates, or him straining his ears to listen for more whispers, but he manages to lose Brian in the busy strip. He's grateful he's tall as he searches for the boy, and is about to pull out his phone to call him when someone gets too close for comfort.

"Hey," the voice is low and its owner is tall and smells of cigarettes. Jae doesn't respond but just looks at the man in fear,

"I was talking to you, pretty boy," 

"U-Um,"

"Oh, your lips are cute when you stutter," 

Jae licks them out of nervousness and that seems to just entertain the man more,

"Why're you out here alone on Valentine's Day, hm? Tell you what, why don't we go back to a hotel and you can spend this lovely day having fun," the way he leans in closer disgusts Jae and he looks him in the eye,

"I'm not alone." Jae manages to say,

"I don't see anyone with you," 

"My boyfriend went to find a restaurant,"

"He just left you alone like this? Sounds like a shitty boyfriend,"

"He got me these flowers and chocolates, he is not shitty." Jae doesn't know where this confidence is coming from, but he hopes he can continue to feign it until someone notices the situation.

"Well, I don't see your boyfriend,"

"Turn around." Jae recognizes that tone of Brian's voice - the same defensive and irritated tone he used when he protected Seungmin from Kisung, that same hint of disgust and anger.

"Oh another pretty boy!" the man says in shameless excitement,

"Are you guys a 2 for 1?" and Brian resists the urge to just punch him in the face,

"No, we're both unavailable and we have a reservation to catch so let my boyfriend go." Brian's expression and his voice makes the man put his hands up in defeat,

"I wasn't holding him hostage," he says, backing away from Jae and Brian quickly retrieves him, intertwining their fingers,

"Unless he'd be into that," he comments and Brian turns around, ready to swing when Jae puts his arms around him,

"It's okay Bri, let's just go." Jae interrupts and Brian's fuming eyes don't leave the man who's laughing at this point,

"Please." and with that Brian takes Jae's hand again and they're off. 

"Can't believe I lost you, I'm sorry," he says and Jae notices how Brian slightly tightens his grip on Jae's hand.

"Bri, it wasn't your fault, why are you apologizing? I'm just glad you found me when you did..." Jae smiles at their hands,

"Thank you."

They continue walking, Brian refusing to let go of Jae's hand and Jae doesn't complain, just using his free one to hold the flowers and chocolates closer. Jae wonders if he should apologize for calling Brian his boyfriend in the heat of the moment, but concludes now isn't the time. Their pace slows when Brian deems it's far enough from that man, and they're looking for a place to eat, still holding hands when they come face to face with a familiar pair.

Both pairs stop, Brian letting go if Jae,

"Oh." is what escapes Brian's lips,

"Oh." Seungmin echoes, holding hands with Jeongin,

"Well then..." Brian says, eyeing their linked hands and Seungmin nods at Brian and Jae's which were previously intertwined,

"Yup..."

"You're rather far from our neighbourhood," Brian comments, and Seungmin replies,

"Went the distance the same reason you did."

"Fair enough."

"Let's never speak of this,"

"Of what, stranger?" Brian says, grabbing Jae's wrist and walking away sharing an amused smile with Seungmin who just nods and walks away with Jeongin. As they're walking away Jae asks,

"Wait, have you and Seungmin ever been a thing?"

Brian looks at him surprised,

"No, why?" 

"Oh, I just assumed because of the panda thing, and the times you guys meet up, and you always being there for him,"

"I'm there for you a lot, does that make us a thing?" slips through Brian's lips and Jae's eyes widen just a tad in surprise,

"U-Uh, no, but-"

"I'm there for all of my friends," he tries to save, keeping it platonic.

"Right," Jae says, looking at his flowers, and doesn't push the conversation further.

Brian is confusing, Jae thinks. But he also realizes that he treated Seungmin like he was special, too, and they didn't have anything going on. Was he misreading signs again? Are there no signs at all and he's just imagining it? Brian is kind and he's demonstrated it several ways, not just to Jae but to the people he cares about. Yet there's something about the way Brian looks at Jae that makes him think that maybe he isn't misreading signs. There's something about the way Brian's always there for Jae to pick him up in any way he can that makes Jae believe he does like him back - Back? Jae isn't a fan of confirming his feelings for Brian on Valentine's Day, holding flowers and chocolate from Brian. It's almost too perfect for things to go wrong.

"Do you wanna eat here?"

"Hm?" Jae looks up from the flowers he didn't realize he was staring at, eyes unfocused 

"The wait doesn't look too bad," Brian says and holds open the door for Jae as he walks in, saying "Thank you" with a smile.

After about 10 minutes of waiting, Jae and Brian decide to be seated outdoors and the setting is beautiful. String of lanterns illuminate the space, allowing a calm glow that contrasts the busy buzz of the diners. It's fascinating though, the amount of people that seem to be in their own world, and Jae smiles at the happy couples that surround them.

Dinner is pleasant, and Jae admires the way Brian tells stories with a smile on his face the whole time, and Brian has his chin in the palm of his hand as he watches Jae tell stories with a bunch of hand gestures. 

"And then my dad tells my cousin...." he trails off when he notices Brian's stare and asks,

"What?" 

"Nothing, you just looked cute," and Brian mentally facepalms and in a desperate attempt to keep to his resolve adds,

"Buddy." _Crap, that wasn't smooth at all_ , he thinks and Jae just blinks at him in silence, and Brian's thankful their server comes when he does.

"Any dessert for you two tonight?"

"Just the bill please," Brian notifies with a smile, and when he returns with one bill they look at each other before laughing.

"He can't just make assumptions," Jae says, shaking his head and Brian scoffs,

"Right? How dare he see your flowers and chocolate and us two eating dinner and think we were together," he jokes and Jae laughs and wonders if they could really be a thing one day.

_C'mon Brian, you're horrible at this. Platonic, my ass. Your lame attempts at flirting are a bad idea. Stop this._

"I got this one," Jae says and thus begins the only problem they have whenever they eat together. 

Jae does succeed in paying, only after rather violently shoving Brian's money away from the server who accepts Jae's cash with a wary smile.

"I got dessert then," Brian says as they're leaving the restaurant and Brian gets a text notification.

**Seungmin-ah: So you and Jae, huh?**

Brian lowers his screen brightness

**Kang Brian: You and Jeongin, huh?**

**Seungmin-ah: Did you get him those flowers? Cute**

**Kang Brian: Maybe**

**Kang Brian: We're just friends.**

**Seungmin-ah: Oh do you get flowers and hold hands with all your friends? Did I miss that memo??**

**Kang Brian: I hate you**

**Kang Brian: we're stopping this convo here**

**Seungmin-ah: Don't lie to yourself Bri**

**Seungmin-ah: plus, he seems to like you too :)**

Brian looks up from his phone at Jae who's looking at the streetlights and various shops with a content smile, holding his flowers close. He likes seeing Jae like this: happy.

**Kang Brian: That doesn't matter**

**Seungmin-ah: AHA SO YOU DO LIKE HIM!**

and Brian clicks his tongue in annoyance before shoving his phone back into his pocket, not wanting to deal with Seungmin. 

"Oh, a ferris wheel!" Jae says,

"Let's grab some ice cream and then ride it? I mean, if you want," 

"Yeah, I love being in the sky," Jae replies with a cute smile before following Brian to a nearby ice cream parlour with various flavours. They practically share again, just like the time at the mall, and fall in line. 

The small ferris wheel carts are in the shape of hearts, Brian commenting it was cute and fitting as they entered. The ride up is comfortably quiet, Jae and Brian across from each other, Jae admiring the clear night sky while Brian smiles at the little town below them. When they reach the top, it stops for a bit and their eyes meet. Neither of them look away, as if both of them are trying to convey everything they want to say with just their gaze.

Brian is confusing, Jae thinks again, but it's times like these where they get closer and closer that Jae thinks he might as well find out for sure. 

Jae doesn't know if he himself closed the distance, or if Brian did - regardless, the kiss is soft. It's unsure, it's almost clumsy, it's shy contact and Jae wonders if Brian's going to push him away but is almost relieved when Brian kisses him back. It's a sweet kiss in sentiment and quite literally as it almost tastes of their ice cream.

Brian's eyes widen in surprise before fluttering closed and allowing himself to appreciate this moment, gaining the courage to pull Jae just a little closer to tell him that it's real. 

They only pull away because Jae drops his bowl of ice cream on Brian, which causes him to jump in surprise at the sudden cold,

"Oh God, I-I'm sorry," Jae says, clearly flustered for a reason other than spilling his ice cream.

"It's okay," Brian says with red cheeks as he wipes off his jeans with the napkins he grabbed at the parlour. They stare at each other again, neither of them knowing how to acknowledge what just happened, 

"I-"

"So-" 

They speak at the same time and both motion for the other to continue what they were saying. 

"Uh," Brian starts,

"We should probably talk about what just happened..." 

Jae didn't necessarily picture his first kiss to be one they have to analyze after, but then again he didn't picture it to be with Brian either. 

"I liked that." Jae blurts out, not caring that he's looking at Brian with his flushed cheeks,

"I'm happy that that time we closed the distance and my mom didn't interrupt." 

Brian stares at him, mouth agape in surprise at Jae's shamelessness, but Jae's always been like this - his wild confession to Sungjin being the reason they're friends in the first place.

"And I like you." Brian admits, speaking the explicit truth for the first time as the ferris wheel ride comes to an end and they're back on the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment any thoughts, thank you for reading! <3


	12. Autopilot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @zenkrcovers | kakao: zenaya  
> feel free to message me on either, I'd love to make MyDay pals! :D   
> and check out my vocal covers, if you want lol, YT: zenkrcovers

They exit the cart and start walking in awkward silence until they find a cafe. They sit down and order, Jae getting a white hot chocolate while Brian orders a vanilla chai latte. The drinks arrive and they stare at each other, Jae's mouth is open as if he's going to say something but no words are coming out. Brian repeats,

"I like you, Jae."

"Uh- I-"

"You don't have to give me an anwer," Brian assures,

"I just wanted to say it and let you know-"

"I like you too." Jae cuts him off with pink cheeks,

"Oh." Brian starts, genuinely surprised,

"Are- Are you sure?" he looks extremely confused,

"I don't mean to invalidate your feelings or anything, I just wanna ask if you're sure 'cause I know that you liked Sungjin a lot, and I wouldn't wanna confuse you. Did tht kiss confuse you? I'm sorry-" he rambles, clearly flustered and Jae laughs, the familiar and melodic sound that Brian's come to adore.

"Bri," he says as he puts a comforting hand on his,

"I'm sure. I do like you."

They look at each other for a couple more seconds and Brian repeats,

"Are you _sure_ sure ?" and Jae laughs with a roll of his eyes before grabbing Brian's collar and kissing him again. It's quick and shy but it's more sure than the last one, acting as Jae's answer.

"I'm surprised you didn't spill that hot chocolate on me," Brian jokes and Jae laughs,

"Yes, I'm sure sure I like you... I stopped liking Sungjin a while ago, I wasn't even sad when him and Wonpil told us they were dating,"

"Wait, really? Why weren't you answering my texts then?"

"Because I was really confused! And you were the centre of that confusion," Jae explains,

"When they said they were dating, I didn't really care... and that was so confusing, because I thought I'd be broken, and I say that with all the drama and exaggeration," he says with laughter,

"And then I couldn't stop thinking about you, and all the little things you do, and that thing during the countdown... So when you texted, I didn't wanna respond,"

"But then I showed up at your door," Brian points out, a sorry smile on his face,

"And you took me to see the things I love most because you didn't want me to be sad." Jae looks at him with a sweet smile,

"I had a feeling I liked you before then, but that night was just... Damn." and they laugh.

"To be fair, I did not do that to try and make a move on you, I was just trying to comfort you as a friend," Brian explains his side,

"Oh, and look where that got us," Jae jokes,

"This is embarrassing just talking about me, are _you_ sure you like _me_?" he turns the question to Brian with a teasing smile.

"I've liked you for a while." he answers, matter-of-factly,

"Also, how could you question me when I was the one who almost kissed you on New Years?"

"Because you acted like it never happened! And then you apologized!"

"Because I thought it made you uncomfortable!" they bicker, each trying to understand what the other was going through.

"Oh, so that's why you apologized..." Jae says under his breath to himself, but Brian hears it,

"What else would I be sorry for?" he asks and Jae blushes, and quickly answers,

"Nothing."

Brian eyes him in thought before giving a smirk,

"I was also sorry I didn't close the distance."

"How'd you know-"

"I know you, I've been your sidekick to get Sungjin for the past half a year,"

"Mission failed, by the way,"

"I mean, if you're down for being a home wrecker, we could modify the plan a bit-"

"No, dumbass," Jae says, laughing because he knows Brian's joking.

"I think I'm starting to like someone else,"

"What, who?! Now we gotta change up the plan,"

"This guy I had my first kiss with,"

"What," Brian says, drawing out the "a" and imitating his mind being blown before he leans in close,

"You know, this is a secret, but I like someone too,"

"No way," Jae plays along with a surprised expression,

"Yeah, I had my first kiss with him too." Brian says with a fond smile, his chin in the palm of his hand,

"My first 2, actually,"

"Really? Me too," Jae says, placing a hand on his chest as if he's really amazed,

"And I hope for more with him, maybe," Brian says and Jae breaks character, blushing and stumbling on his words which makes Brian laugh. Jae watches as Brian laughs sincerely, and he realizes he wants to see Brian this happy all the time. But then that unsettling and insecure feeling sets in, and Jae asks,

"Do you really like me?" and Brian nods, no hesitation at all.

"But... why?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, you're really popular at school, you could have practically anyone you want, you know?" Brian narrows his eyes at Jae who's never looked so vulnerable,

"And you're really handsome, and talented, and you're really soft hearted and do the kindest things but never take credit for them, and you put others before yourself, and you got a nice face," Brian snorts at that comment, which makes Jae stop rambling and he looks Brian in the eyes again.

"You got a nice face yourself," he starts, and Jae cracks a smile,

"And you're soft hearted, too. You care for those around you so immensely, and you do it in silence too. You got me a separate gift, you're there for any of the guys when needed, and you remind us how much we mean to you. You're smart and don't mind trying new things or taking chances, you can talk about anything you find interesting for ages,"

"I do not-"

"I've had many phonecalls with you so don't even try and dispute that," Brian cuts him off with a warning finger, before continuing,

"You're funny yet lame, there's a thin line between those things when it comes to your humour, you're an overall good person who can be timid yet you stand up for yourself and what you want." Jae's blushing, trying to hide in his turtleneck,

"And you're really cute with your cheeks and round glasses," he finishes and they settle into silence.

Truth is, Brian doesn't know why he's saying all of this, after all the hesitation and the holding back, he doesn't know what button was pressed to upon this dam. Was it Valentine's Day? Was it the way his hand felt so warm in Jae's? Or maybe it was the feeling when they ran away from the group earlier that day, but it could also be just Jae. In all his timid, awkward, adorable shamelessness, Jae being in front of Brian was a button itself. 

Brian reflects on Jae's previous words of him being selfless yet never taking credit - but the opposite applied when it came to Jae. Brian wanted to be selfish for once, to go for what he wanted and not just be the supporting role. So despite all the internal warning signs, Brian confessed and is now talking things out with Jae, who claims to like him back. So, with that risk and this selfishness in mind, he asks,

"So, what now?" and Jae coughs on the sip of hot chocolate at the question he doesn't know the answer to either.

"Good question," he replies, eyes on his mug. 

"Where do people go from here?" and Brian laughs, and shrugs,

"Not sure, all confessions I've been present in usually end in rejection," 

Jae looks at him, eyes narrowed in disbelief as he shakes his head a bit,

"Wait, no!" Brian tries to correct, Jae has an amused smile as he continues,

"That's not how this is gonna end, I was just saying you and I are in the same boat because I don't know how to make this succeed-" Jae laughs, commenting,

"What a comforting statement, Bri," and the other admits defeat with a pout.

"Since we know how we feel about each other, how about we just take things slow?" Brian suggests,

"We've kissed twice."

"I meant in terms of titles, and like being official boyfriends and stuff," Brian replies with a light laugh,

"Don't get me wrong, I'd love to make things official but I think there're some things we gotta talk through,"

"Like?"

"Like my insecurity of me being a rebound from Sungjin-"

"Brian," Jae cuts him off, because he needs to interrupt him before he gets even further in that thought.

"You are not a rebound." he says, looking into his eyes,

"I can't tell you for sure when things changed, but my feelings shifted gradually before I even knew Sungjin liked Wonpil. I don't like you because I didn't get Sungjin, I like you 'cause you're you, Bri. I didn't kiss you because I was sad Sungjin and Wonpil got together, I don't blush by choice when I'm near you... I sincerely like you so please don't think you're a rebound or some backup plan." and Brian feels slightly bad,

"But I can see why you'd feel that way," Jae says, understanding the concern,

"So, just like how I'm a bit nervous because you're so amazing and get confessions basically weekly, let's trust each other." Brian smiles at that and says a small,

"Okay," 

"Okay?" Jae prompts with an expectant smile just to be sure

"Yes, okay." he replies and he can't stop smiling. 

"I didn't expect you to get so deep, I just didn't want our anniversary to be Valentine's Day," Brian comments, and Jae scoffs,

"Yeah, well, I didn't expect to spend Valentine's Day with you, kiss you, and then talk our feelings out in a cafe, so looks like we're both full of surprises."

"Quite a family emergency, don't you think?" and Jae laughs,

"Very urgent." he agrees with a determined nod,

"Yeah, I really don't think it could've waited a second longer," 

"Mhm," he affirms again with a nod and they laugh, and the silence that follows after is comfortable.

"You know what, I also don't want our anniversary to mix with Valentine's Day," Jae suddenly says, and Brian laughs,

"So, let's just be sure, these feelings are not platonic, very much so romantic and completely mutual?" Brian asks,

"Yes, yes and yes." 

"Okay, now I guess we just wait for Valentine's Day to go by," he replies with a laugh,

"You haven't changed, you know," Jae comments out of no where, looking at Brian with fond eyes,

"What do you mean?"

"When I met you that day, despite the embarrassing situation you laughed a lot, smiled a lot. I liked that attitude you had, but as I got closer to you I realized I wanted to see it more."

"Cute," Brian replies, surprising Jae who expected a different response,

"One day, I realized that I wanted to be the cause of your smile. I knew you liked Sungjin, but I wanted to be there for you, and cheer you up as a good friend. It got harder, but I was doing it pretty well, and then one day I couldn't cheer you on as sincerely as I used to and that's when I realized 'Oh. These are _feelings_ feelings... Oh no'" Brian reenacts his thought process, making Jae smile,

"Wait, _oh no_?" Jae asks, 

"Yes because you liked my best friend!"

"Okay, within the half year we've been doing this plan, I honestly think I've liked you longer than I liked Sungjin."

"What?"

"Not sure, but I felt some type of way when I saw you at Halloween," Jae admits, and Brian lets out a snort of a laugh,

"The night you were freaking out about Sungjin holding your hand?"

"That is why I prefaced that with "not sure" because you were so confusing,"

"Me? What did I do that night?" 

"Your costume was deadly and you know it,"Jae says with narrowed eyes as if scolding Brian, and before the other can object he continues,

"The photobooth thing with you pretending to bite my neck was stressful, and you and Seungmin were so cute and close, and then!" Brian feels like he's done something wrong,

"That text convo that night, you ended it! You never ended our conversations before,"

"How do you even remember all of this?"

"Because I seemed to remember all the details when it involved you, it's annoying and just affirming that I really do have feelings for you." Jae says with a huff before taking another sip of his drink that's gone cold from the talking they're doing. But it's nice, to be able to talk about their feelings so openly and get to understand the other before they became official, get past these confusions and worries that could prove a problem in the future.

"Well in my defense, I was struggling with an assumed unrequited crush, and since you were freaking out about Sungjin holding your hand, I got sulky and didn't want to text you... And that photo experience was even more stressful for me." he says, firm and as fact. Then Brian realizes how long ago Halloween was,

"Wait, you've liked me since then?!"

"No! Yes? Maybe, I didn't know, I couldn't tell," Jae sounds just as confused as Brian's expression shows,

"If you were focused on and still remember Seungmin and I, then you totally did,"

"I didn't know if I did!"

"So you just ignored some signs that you actually liked me,"

"Don't get all high and mighty, I still very much liked Sungjin at that time, hence why I was freaking out about holding his hand,"

"Wow, you're just gonna bring him up after I confessed to you?"

"Wha- Brian!" Jae says in disbelief at Brian's audacity, and they're both laughing because this whole thing is ridiculous.

"Okay okay, we keep getting off topic." Brian settles down, 

"Let's not worry about the past, and focus on the present and the future," 

"Says the one who said we should talk things out,"

"And I think it's done us well, now we know our feelings are true and that we're both idiots for taking so long to realize and admit."

"Did you say we even though you've known your feelings for a while to make me feel better?"

"Yes,"

"See, that's part of why I like you,"

"Because I softened the blow to your pride?"

"Precisely! Wow, whatta genius, I'm falling so hard," Jae says with sigh, resting his chin in his hand as he stares at Brian in adoration and Brian just laughs, shaking his head with a roll of his eyes.

"When we do date, are we telling our parents? Or is that..." Jae trails off,

"Mine won't care," Brian replies bluntly, and Jae doesn't press further because he notices the sudden change in tone.

"But I'll still tell them about you," he adds with a warm smile,

"Because I want to." and Jae smiles,

"I'm worried about your parents, they've met me already... Do they hate me?"

"Bri, are you kidding? Hate you? They _love_ you," he assures,

"Honestly, I think my dad wants to be your best friend or something, he keeps asking when you'll be over next for another game of pool."

"That's both relieving and nerve wracking," Brian says,

"What if he doesn't think I'm good enough for you?"

"Wager me in a pool game and win." Jae jokes because he knows his dad wouldn't think that about Brian. 

"But what if I win and he just disapproves of me even more,"

"Do you really care that much?"

"Yes because I like you a lot and I want your parents to like me too. I want them to accept me and know that I'll treat you well," and Jae's lips curve in a smile,

"Trust me. They already like you. We'll take things slow and tell our parents when it's time, so don't stress." he says, and they talk about other things as the night grows deeper and the cafe starts to close. Their hours talking are filled with laughter, blushing confessions and concludes with the understanding that they do want to do this. 

The walk to Brian's car is slow, shy hands that sometimes brush yet neither of them reach out to hold until Brian realizes how dumb that is, so he just grabs Jae's hand and intertwines their fingers. Jae smiles at the action,

"Do you need help holding those?" Brian asks, looking at the flowers and chocolates,

"Yes please, if you don't mind," and Brian takes the chocolates as they continue walking.

"Damn," Brian says and Jae looks to his side in worry but sees Brian smiling wide,

"What?"

"I like you a lot," he says and turns to look at him and Jae's heart speeds at how cute Brian looks right now, smiling at him as if he's the only thing in the world.

"So, I'm just super happy right now, sorry," he explains with laugh, hiding his face with the chocolates, and Jae can't help but smile himself. 

They get to the car and the ride home is nice, Jae rolling down the windows and singing along to the radio. Brian sings with him and Jae loves the way their voices mesh, just like that time at the music store. When they get to Jae's house, Brian hands him his chocolate and walks him to the doorstep. 

"Thanks for today, Bri," Jae says and Brian nods,

"Thank you, too. It was a lengthy family emergency but everything turned out great, so," and they laugh.

"Good night, get home safe," Jae says, a hint of anticipation in his eyes,

"Good night," Brian replies and they look at each other just for a bit before Jae turns to go into his house,

"Jae, wait," and he turns around and Brian takes his face in his hands as he kisses him, slow. They both smile into the kiss, but Brian gives him one more peck,

"Okay, good night," he says, and jogs to his car, a huge smile plastered on his face as Jae goes inside and leans against the door.

"Oh, you're home. How was your day?" his dad asks when he sees Jae as he was exiting the kitchen,

"Good... Really good," he says,

"Who got you those chocolates and flowers?" Jae doesn't think it's the right time to expose what happened today so he answers,

"I got them for you and mom," and on cue, she walks into the foyer from the living room, 

"Honey! Welcome home, did you eat already?"

"Yeah, Bri and I had dinner,"

"Just you two?" 

"Oh, no the others were there too, but you know, immersed in being the couples they are," Jae says with a chuckle as his mom accepts the flowers as his dad opens the box of chocolates. Jae looks at the gifts Brian gave him and swiftly takes one flower from the bunch and one chocolate, a content smile on his face. 

"I'm gonna go to sleep, I'm tired, good night mom and dad!" he says, quickly grabbing a glass from the kitchen, before his mom asks questions,

"Wait- oh, okay," she says as Jae's already up the stairs,

"Love you, good night!" his dad says as he picks a chocolate,

"Love you!" he says and goes into his room. He fills the glass with water from the bathroom sink, puts the one flower inside and sets it on his desk, and eats the chocolate which is actually pretty good. He's sitting at his desk, admiring the beautiful flower, only one out of the bunch and he feels bad, but he's happy. 

After he showers and is in bed, he's on his phone, trying to put together a text to Brian but no words, no matter how they're strung together, seems to deliver the right message. He's still typing and then deleting when he gets a text,

**burger kang: I really cant stop smiling**

**burger kang: Like I try to and I try to sleep cause we got school tomorrow**

**burger kang: but then I remember today and you and just**

**burger kang: aaaAAHHHHHH**

And Jae laughs at the last text because he can practically hear it.

**jaepark: wow I was just about to text you**

**jaepark: also same hehe**

**burger kang: damn Im gonna have to hold back at school tomorrow huh?**

And the way that's worded makes Jae blush

**jaepark: yes unless you want to expose the unofficial us to the group**

**burger kang: ok ok**

**burger kang: I dealt with an assumed unrequited crush for like half a year, I can do this**

Jae giggles at Brian's pep talk,

**jaepark: I like you**

**burger kang: you're gonna make this hard for me, aren't you??**

**jaepark: hehehe**

**burger kang: damn you, Park**

And Jae gets flustered at the use of his last name because Brian's never addressed him like that. They decide to talk on the phone, their conversation continuing in groggy, tired voices and soon enough whispers. Jae falls asleep first and Brian smiles at his steady breathing before hanging up with a,

"Good night, loser," and this time he hears Jae's barely coherent response of,

"Night, loser."

The next day at school, the boys meet at the slope and the group asks about Jae's situation.

"Was everything okay yesterday?" 

"Oh it was gr-" they look at him confused because Jae's smiling, and he catches himself and switches his expression,

"gruelling." he continues, shaking his head,

"Yeah, I noticed Bri got home really late," and Brian seemed to forget they were neighbours,

"Oh yeah, I stayed with Jae just to make sure everything was okay,"

"Good on you, Bri. Glad everything's okay, Jae," Wonpil says and the group moves toward the school while Jae and Brian lag back.

"Hey Jae, I really like you," Brian teases in a whisper into Jae's ear and speeds up to catch up with the rest of the boys, teasingly sticking his tongue out.

_I hate you_ , Jae mouths, shaking his head with an amused smile and pink cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment any thoughts, I'd love to know! thank you for reading <3 I'll try and update soon - Zen


	13. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @zenkrcovers | kakao: zenaya  
> feel free to contact me on either, I'd love to make MyDay pals! :D

Jae and Brian are still unofficial, and if he were to be completely honest, Jae's starting to worry if anything really happened. After Valentine's Day, they continued on like normal, and Jae thought it was because they didn't want to give anything away to their friends, but even their text conversations are the same. So, he nags at himself - _what if Brian didn't really mean any of that? His feelings probably changed. Someone else probably confessed this week and he's over you._

 _Stop_. He tells himself, _Brian is not like that_. Jae exhales leaning back in his chair, _if you're so anxious, ask him yourself_ , he thinks but he feels like Brian would usually take the lead. He pulls the strings of his hoodie and squishes his cheeks, giving them light slaps before returning his focus back to his homework.

As he's figuring out a trig problem, his phone rings and he habitually smiles when he answers,

"Hello?"

"Hey," Brian's voice sounds irritated and Jae's smile falls slowly,

"Are you busy right now? I need to talk to you,"

"Uh no, not busy."

"Okay, can I pick you up then?"

"Wait, you're coming here?"

"I'd rather not tell you just over the phone." _What the Hell does he have to say,_ he bites his lower lip nervously,

"Yeah, okay. I'll be ready" and Brian doesn't even say bye, just ends the call and has Jae flailing in his chair, making incoherent sounds in frustration and anticipation as he puts on a pair of jeans and goes downstairs,

"Oh, where you headed?" his mom asks,

"Bri's picking me up, he needs my company,"

"Okay, be safe. Invite him over for dinner after,"

"Yeah, maybe," Jae says, not knowing where this conversation is going to go. 

**burger kang: I'm outside**

_Wow, he didnt even come to the door this time?_ and he's not in the best mood when he says bye to his parents, goes out the door and into Brian's car.

"Hey," Brian greets but keeps his eyes forward, immediately backing out of the driveway as soon as he hears Jae's seatbelt click,

"Hi," Jae replies, eyes on his lap as he steals glances at Brian.

"Where're we going?"

"You'll see, I just wanted somewhere to talk." and Jae decides to stop asking questions. They arrive at this park with no one around and Brian parks, saying a,

"Let's go," as he gets out of the car.

They walk up a hill, Brian keeping his hands in his pocket and Jae leaves his arms swinging, kind of hoping Brian would grab it and hold his hand but he doesn't. Jae tells himself not to sulk because he has no real reason to, he tries to stop pouting which becomes easy when Brian turns around with the widest smile and his arms spread, and says the cutest,

"Ta-da!"

Behind Brian and his proud, anticipating smile is a picnic set up, his acoustic guitar resting on top of its case and various fruits and snacks laid out on a mat. Brian motions for Jae to sit down as he grabs his guitar, sitting in front of Jae who can't stop smiling, hiding his happiness with his hands.

"Honestly, I was kind of mad at myself for taking you to the airport before because I don't know how to top that," he explains as he gets in position to play,

"But, hopefully this is enough," and Jae's already nodding as Brian places his fingers on the fret board and strums. 

Jae's always loved Brian's voice, ever since he first heard it at the school festival. He loved how versatile it was, how it could be grainy like sand or smooth like the waves that meet it. But this time, it was the lyrics that made him smile and stare at him with such adoration that even Brian couldn't help but smile as he sang. When he reaches the chorus, he looks at Jae with confidence as sings,

_I like you_

_I tried holding it back, but I can't anymore_

_Now I can tell you, I want to love you_

And Jae's swaying slightly to the melody, hiding his flushed face in his hands and sleeves, sincerely contemplating if this is reality because he can't believe this is actually happening. Brian finishes off his quick performances after that confession and says,

"Valentine's Day is over, so I just wanted to remind you that I like you, a lot... I also wanted to ask you, will you be my boyfriend?" 

_See?_ Jae wants to laugh at his worries earlier and repeats, _Brian isn't like that._

"Yeah, yes, duh loser," he replies, looking at Brian happily and Brian pumps his fist into the air in a lame cheer. He hastily puts his guitar down and reaches over to pull Jae in for a kiss.

"So, we're official, yeah?" 

"Yeah," Jae says with a smile as his eyes linger on Brian's lips,

"Okay good, it would've been awkward if your feelings changed within the week I made you wait. Sorry about that, I didn't know what could top the airport night,"

" _My_ feelings changed? You've been acting so weird this past week! And then you suddenly call me up sounding all angry,"

"Oh, my voice acting worked?"

"Yes! Very effectively." Jae says, as if drained from the worrying he was put through,

"And you were driving kind of fast. I was so convinced you were in the worst mood and I was like 'why did he pick me up if he's gonna be pissed'?" and Brian laughs,

"I had to drive fast! Our picnic was waiting. I made Seungmin keep watch until we arrived," he informs and Jae responds with an "ah".

Brian moves to sit beside Jae and feeds him some fruit, which Jae eats happily.

"So, what now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like what does dating even include?" and Brian blinks a couple of times,

"You know, that's a good question... Let's figure out the answer to that together," he says, extending his hand and Jae slips his fingers between Brian's. Brian's popping grapes into his mouth as he lists,

"I mean, now I can hold your hand freely, hug you freely, kiss you freely, which no one else can do. We should probably stop being awkward and flustered around each other," he says with a laugh and Jae says,

"I don't think I'll ever stop getting flustered around you, you make it so hard." and before Brian can comment with his amused smile, he adds,

"We can go on more dates,"

"More?"

"Oh c'mon, we've essentially been on dates. To the mall? The airport? Valentine's Day? This!" 

"Damn, we really delayed this, huh?" and they laugh. Jae gets up and gets Brian's guitar,

"Are you gonna serenade me?" the other asks excitedly as Jae adjusts the tuning,

"Should I?" 

"Yes please, boyfriend," Brian says, smiling at being able to use that title and it makes Jae laugh as he begins strumming.

_When I'm looking at you_

_When our eyes meet_

_My face grows hot but_

_Feels so nice_

It's a rather fun and groovy song that has Brian bouncing slightly, clapping as Jae finishes with flushed cheeks,

"You blush a lot," 

"It's 'cause I like you a lot, dumbass," he replies, placing the guitar back in its case as he laughs at Brian's audible offended gasp.

He goes to sit back beside Brian when he realizes the other has his arms and legs spread, patting the space between them,

"Come here," and Jae, although flustered, complies and sits down and tenses up at Brian's arms that wrap around him.

"I like you a lot, Jae." he says, pulling him closer and resting his chin on Jae's shoulder. 

Jae tries to calm his heart, even his exhale comes out shaky, but he settles into Brian's chest, leaning back slightly and placing his hands on top of Brian's,

"Yeah, I like you too. We've confirmed this already, we can stop," and Brian's laugh is low this close and he places a kiss on Jae's neck,

"No, I don't want you to forget or doubt my feelings."

"I won't, now stop kissing my neck,"

"Oh sorry, does it make you uncomfortable?" Brian asks, genuinely concerned as he distances himself just a bit and Jae hides in the collar of his sweater, muffling his reply of,

"No, it just drives me a bit crazy and we're at a park." and Brian smirks at how red the other's ears are,

"Noted, I'll continue that when we're in your room- Ow," he gets winded by Jae's elbow jabbing his stomach, and getting up to leaving to which Brian tightens his grip,

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Stay... Please," 

and Jae rolls his eyes with a suppressed smile as he leans back into Brian, finding comfort in the arms that hold him close. They finish the food as the sun sets, their conversation descending to voices that switch between a low talking voice and whispers. They talk about trivial things, just like they used to on the phone for hours, but now Jae's in his arms and Brian's holding him, his laugh right in his ear and it's not because of a phone.

"Should we tell our parents and the group?" Jae asks, and feels Brian shrug,

"Up to you. I'm just happy that you're officially my boyfriend,"

"I'll probably tell my parents tonight, and maybe you can come over for dinner soon?"

"Yeah, I'm down for that. Just give me notice days in advance so I can prepare cue cards for dinner,"

"Cue cards- Bri, you're ridiculous,"

"For wanting your parents to like me?"

"For thinking they won't" he replies, turning his head to look back at Brian, and Brian takes advantage of the access and gives him a quick peck and Jae sputters jokingly, making both of them laugh.

"Should we make a dramatic announcement like the group did?"

"Nah, that's not us." Brian says and Jae agrees with a nod and smile,

"So how do you suppose we let them know?"

"They'll figure it out, let's just be ourselves around them. If we just happen to link hands or kiss naturally, I'm sure they'll get the message."

After it gets dark, Brian drops Jae off back at home, a swift goodbye kiss at his doorstep and Jae's biting his lower lip to suppress a smile when he gets inside.

"Oh, where's Brian?"

"Huh?"

"Dinner? We told you to invite him,"

"Oh, next time, Mom" Jae says as he goes to help set up the table, and once they settle down and start eating. He speaks up,

"But, about Brian..." and he goes on to tell about how they may or may not be dating, playing with his fork that his eyes remain fixated on as he tries to relay the information. When he looks up, his Mom looks happy and curious, but his dad doesn't look too happy.

"Do you really like him?" his dad asks,

"Yes," 

"And does he like you?" 

"Yeah... Is something bugging you?"

"How do you know he really likes you?" and that sends Jae off. Placing his fork down as he replies,

"Because he stuck by my side even though he thought I liked Sungjin, because he took me to the airport to cheer me up, he's considerate of me, he thinks of ways to make me happy. I know because of the way he smiles at me, listens to me, talks to me, sings to me... And because he said so, and continues to prove his words." 

They stare at each other for a while before his dad smiles fondly, confusing Jae and it shows in his furrowed brows,

"You really like him, don't you?" 

"N-Not too much, you know? Like not _really_ really-"

"I'm glad he makes you feel in such a way that you wanna defend him... I hope we get to meet your official boyfriend through dinner," his dad says with a laugh. And Jae smiles as he picks his fork back up, 

"Soon. He said he wants to," 

"Good, he should,"

"Dad,"

"I'm kidding, you know I like Brian... Now I can challenge him in another round of billiards." and the family laughs. 

They're eating in comfortable silence when his mom asks,

"So... What I saw at New Years-"

"Oh my God, Mom, please-"

"What did she see at New Years?" his dad asks, eyeing the two suspiciously,

"Nothing, it was nothing." and he eats as his mom laughs lightly,

"Him and Brian," and Jae's eyes widen and he's tempted to shove rice in his mom's mouth,

"Were the only ones counting down as everyone fell asleep. It was cute," she says, and Jae settles back into his seat,

"Ah, you've liked him for a while then?"

"He liked me first," Jae gets oddly defensive and his dad laughs,

"But he asked you officially today?"

"Yes. And I'm really happy about this, so I hope you guys can support me?" he says, an expectant grin on his face and both of his parents nod.

"Of course. Brian seems like a good kid... Although, he does look like trouble,"

"What?" Jae asks, amused,

"He gives off vibes in his leather jacket, but offers to wash the dishes... I mean, I'm thankful, but he should stick to a concept," and Jae lets out a bark of a laugh,

"Concept?! He's just Brian!"

"Okay honey, like you didn't identify him as solely 'the vampire from Halloween' multiple times," his mom fires back and the rest of the dinner is playful bickering over Brian's vibes and his true personality.

Jae helps his mom with the dishes while his dad goes upstairs,

"What happened to liking Sungjin?" she teases,

"Honestly a cover-up because at the time, I didn't know what I felt for Brian," 

"I mean, I saw you guys almost kiss so isn't that a bit of an indicator?"

"Mom, just be happy for me please?" he pleads, a tired smile on his face because he's run over these details of confusion multiple times. Asking himself why he didn't see the signs, and then explaining to Brian what he was feeling at the time. 

"Of course I am," she says as they're finishing up, and hugs him, placing a kiss on his cheek,

"We'll plan a dinner with him soon," and Jae smiles gratefully.

The next day at school, they don't make an announcement that they're dating. The group doesn't even catch them holding hands on the slope in the morning because they lag behind like they usually do. They pass by Seungmin who gives them a bright smile, Jae mouthing a 

Thank you and Seungmin responds with two thumbs up before he catches Jeongin and Jae watches with a knowing smile,

"They're cute," he comments,

"Yeah but we're cuter,"

"No, they're adorable, we're like..."

"Hot?" Brian says with a confident smirk and Jae slaps his arm, but doesn't deny it because he understand the vibe Brian gives off his parents were talking about last night.

It's only when they're parting ways and Brian grabs Jae by his waist and places a kiss on his cheek and they exchange the words,

"I'll text you later, yeah?" 

"Yeah, get home safe,"

That the group freezes and stares at them. Brian and Jae don't even notice so Brian places a quick kiss on Jae's lips and Jae smiles, and Junhyeok yells,

"Oh my God?!" and Brian, who was already starting to walk home, goes,

"What?"

" _What_? Yah, Kang Bri-"

"Oh! Right!" he cuts Sungjin off and walks back to Jae's side, swinging an arm around him,

"Yeah, we're a thing now," he says casually and Jae just nods as Dowoon's staring at them with his jaw hanging,

"See you guys tomorrow!" Brian says and Jae kisses him on the cheek, making him stutter in his steps as he goes to walk home,

"Brian, get back here!" Sungjin calls out, and Brian sticks his tongue out but starts running when Sungjin looks at Wonpil,

"I'll text you later," and lets go of his hand before he sprints in Brian's direction,

"You little shi-" Jae laughs at Sungjin's unfinished insult as he runs after his best friend,

"Jae!" Wonpil says,

"You and Bri are dating?!" Junhyeok asks, and Jae just nods,

"Mhm,"

"Why didn't you guys tell us?" 

"Well, we figured you guys would notice at some point. We even held hands on the slope, you didn't see?" and they shake their heads. 

"We kind of saw it coming but we weren't sure," Wonpil comments and Jae looks surprised,

"Wait, you guys saw it coming?"

"Yeah! Brian was so obvious around you, it was crazy. Did his persistence make you give in?" Dowoon jokes and Jae laughs and keeps the smile, thinking about how Brian acted the way he did, even if his friends could figure him out.

"I'm happy you guys are together now though," Junhyeok says, and Jae says a "thank you" and they part ways with that.

A couple of days later, Brian's adjusting his shirt, checking for the third time for any unwanted wrinkles or creases and making sure his hair is in place, when Jae answers the door.

"Hey," he says with an excited smile,

"Hi," Brian replies, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before going inside,

"Brian!" Jae's mom says, and he straightens up his posture,

"Hello," he greets and is surprised when she gives him a hug,

"Don't be so tense, it's just dinner," she assures and goes back into the kitchen, making way for Jae's dad who extends his hand,

"Brian,"

"Sir," he responds and he laughs,

"I told you, Dad is fine," and Brian finds comfort in his smile,

"Do you need help setting up?" Brian offers, and walks with Jae's dad to the kitchen and Jae watches from behind, smiling. 

Sure, Jae's never dated before but this is practically a dream come true. His boyfriend being able to openly converse and interact with his parents, and he's still smiling when Brian turns around and prompts with a soft, 

"C'mon," and dashing smile. 

They set up the table together, Jae stealing glances at how warm and domestic Brian seems, and Brian quietly laughing at Jae almost dropping a glass. They're eating and Jae's parents are communicating with their eyes, both trying to find the right time and thing to ask Brian, but they don't have to because he does.

"Sorry," he starts, placing his glass down and earning the attention of the table,

"I just want to start by saying thank you for inviting me to dinner," and Jae slows down his chewing to listen to what comes next,

"And I know we've met before and you both always treat me so nicely, but I can understand if there's a change in perspective on me right now... But I just want to make it clear that I am serious about dating Jae."

"We know," Jae's mom says with a warm smile, surprising both boys,

"I-I'm sorry, you know?" Brian prompts for elaboration,

"Jae's told us about how you introduced him to your friends, he would go on about these long phonecalls with you, and then that day you showed up at our door." she says,

"So although we don't know the extent of it, we do know you care for him." his dad comments with an approving nod at Brian,

"Plus, the way you asked him was very cute," 

"Mom," Jae whines and Brian cracks a smile,

"Is this your first relationship, Brian?" he asks,

"Yes, it is... So, I may not be perfect, but I'll try my hardest to make this work," he replies, looking at Jae with a smile,

"This is Jaehyung's first one too. You know, for young love you both seem to want to take this seriously,"

"I do," Jae says,

"Me too," Brian says, smiling as he replies,

"I want us to last a long time... So, with your permission I would like to openly and seriously date your son." 

The parents look at each other and smile before looking at Brian,

"Yes, you have our permission... And Brian, remember," and he expects a warning of some sort, but instead hears,

"You're welcome here anytime. Don't be so tense with us, okay?" and he nods with a thankful smile,

"Yes, thank you!" and Jae's smiling too,

"After dinner why don't we have a second round of pool?" his dad suggests and Brian nods,

"Of course," and the rest of the dinner isn't as tense.

They talk about little relationship tips and advice they may want to offer to the new couple, Brian talks about himself a bit more than usual to which Jae listens in adoration, his chin in his hand and his mom smiling at the cute scene. They wrap up dinner, Brian offering to help with the dishes but Jae's mom insist they just go downstairs to play pool, so they do. Brian wins this round, and Jae's dad jokes saying "I guess you deserve my son now," to which Jae replies "now?!" and they laugh.

Things are going well for the new couple, that is until Jae's reminded in not the most pleasant way that Brian truly was the popular guy at their school. He didn't even pay mind to the fact that he was the first person to date the infamous rejecter until he's stopped in the hallway as he's late to class.

"Park Jaehyung," and he looks up to see Kisung smirking and something tells him he should run but he can't move and just hopes Brian happens to stroll by, but he doesn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if that update wasn't too interesting, but in the original draft I thought I was rushing a part so I eventually edited it out and will insert it in the next chapter.   
> please comment any thoughts, I'd love to know! thank you for reading <3


	14. Announcement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter&instagram: @zenkrcovers | kakao: zenaya  
> happy new year!

Jae doesn't respond because the stating of his name wasn't a greeting to be returned, it was simply an announcement of Kisung's arrival.

"So," he approaches and swings an arm around him,

"Heard you're dating Kang, huh?" and Jae wants to deny but he knows it's futile, so he just stays still, tensing at the contact.

"Good, good for both of you... and me," and he laughs,

"Seungmin isn't fun to play with anymore, so I'm happy I found a new toy." 

"I won't become your toy," Jae says, finding resolve to look Kisung in the eye. 

"Oh, I wasn't asking for permission." and Jae doesn't like the look in the eyes of the boys behind Kisung as they get closer.

"What's your problem?" and Kisung's eyes narrow at the question,

"My problem?" 

"You're always bothering Brian, and he hasn't done anything-" Kisung lands a blow in Jae's stomach, making him double over in pain.

"I don't have a problem with Brian. I like playing with him," he says, grabbing Jae's chin,

"But it's so much more fun to play with him indirectly. Using people around him as chess pieces, you know?"

"Do you even know how to play chess? Humour me, how does the bishop move-" Jae fires back with an amused smile that goes away with another punch, and he realizes what Brian said earlier in the year - their school really doesn't care about bullying. 

"I'll take that as a no," he adds with a daring laugh and Kisung angrily grabs him by his hair, making him wince in pain.

"You got quite the mouth on you, huh?" and he resorts to a knee in Jae's stomach and he falls on the ground, his books scattering. He's never been the buffest boy, and he's definitely never been beaten before so this pain is new, and yet he finds himself wanting to fight. 

"I wonder how fun it'll be when Brian sees you all bruised," 

"I won't let him see my stomach," Jae says, gripping it as if that'll subdue the pain,

"You think we're stopping with your stomach?" and the inclusion of the boys behind him scares Jae as Kisung lets out a laugh. 

_Fight back, scream for help, do_ something. Jae tells himself, but he finds himself helpless on the ground, squirming with his mouth covered shut as he's grabbed by the limbs and shoved into the nearest washroom, but not before managing to kick one of Kisung's followers.

He's thrown on the ground where he cowers against the wall when he gets a kick back from the guy, his whimper making Kisung giggle like an overjoyed kid. Jae repositions himself, taking quick, shallow breaths as he tries to stand,

"Why don't you call Bri in here? Wouldn't be fair to let you have all the fun, right?"

That's both the most and least wanted thing Jae wishes to happen. He wants to be saved, he wants his boyfriend - so badly. But he knows Brian, and he'd probably blame himself which is dumb. Brian's not the problem, it's Kisung. 

Jae makes a lame attempt to throw a punch, which Kisung dodges and says,

"Oh, you want all the fun to yourself? Fine," and that's when his first punch to Jae's face hits - and it hurts like Hell. 

Jae staggers back, holding his cheek as he holds back tears, he would hate to cry now, it would just entertain Kisung more. Kisung's about to land another one when they hear the door open with a squeak, and Jae wonders if it'll be someone who ignores bullying like the rest of the school, or an unexpected knight in shining armour. 

The way his eyes widen when he registers what's going on and almost instantly punches the boys behind Kisung makes Jae watch in awe. Kisung approaches him and gets a swift punch in the face and he runs to Jae,

"Jae! C'mon, I was wondering why you were late," Sungjin says, extending his hand with a comforting smile. Jae grabs it, getting up as Kisung shakes his head at the impact, laughing as he asks,

"So Kang's best friend can fight too?" Sungjin shoots him a glare,

"Good to know."

"You're such a coward," Sungjin spits angrily,

"I'm the coward? Did you see that losers face?" Kisung says, pointing a finger at Jae as he laughs,

"Yes, you're the coward and absolute trash because you have nothing better to do." he replies right to Kisung's face and both of them just stare at each other. Sungjin's still holding Jae's hand, behind him so that if Kisung tries anything, Sungjin can intercept. Kisung lets out a quiet snort before looking at Jae,

"Till the next round, prawn," 

"It's pawn, dumbass," Jae corrects, and Kisung lunges, making him flinch as Sungjin tugs him to exit the bathroom. They quickly pick up the books Jae dropped earlier, and Sungjin helps Jae with his bag. 

"Maybe you should skip until lunch," Sungjin suggests, 

"Walking you into class like this would set Brian off and the period's almost over,"

Jae's still rather stunned but manages to reply,

"Y-Yeah, you're right.. I'll wait in the music room till lunch," 

"Want me to walk you there?"

"No, it's okay, you've done a lot. Thanks, Sungjin," Jae says and Sungjin shows him that classic smile Jae used to squeal over,

"You sure? I mean, I got permission to go to the bathroom anyway-"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thank you," and Sungjin eyes him with concern,

"Okay. Don't hesitate to text or call any of us if something happens again," and Jae nods before walking to the music room.

He holds his stomach as he walks quickly, hoping Kisung doesn't exit the washroom and chase after him. He arrives at the empty music room that, over the past few months, has become so comforting and familiar. He lays down in the middle of the room, right under the skylight and stares at the sky.

 _Is that what Seungmin went through? Multiple times?_ he thinks, and wants to cry just thinking about it. 

Jae said before that he kind of understood why Seungmin liked Brian - as Brian was his knight in shining armour. That's why he didn't want Sungjin to walk him to the music room, because in that mess of an encounter with Kisung, Sungjin grabbing his hand and saving him made him feel something with a small "uh oh" that was quickly dispelled. No planes fly overhead, and he's actually about to fall asleep when he hears,

"Bri!"

"Is he okay?!" from outside the room, as the door swings open, and Brian runs toward Jae who's sitting up now, and just hugs him.

That's what he needed. For Brian to just hug him with his arms that never failed to support him, to hold him close like he usually does, and to place a soft kiss on the top of his head.

"I am-"

"Don't apologize. This wasn't your fault,"

The boys stay outside the music room for a few minutes, giving Brian and Jae their time as Sungjin explains what happened.

"Not my fault? So, Kisung didn't punch you because you're dating me?" he asks and Jae can't lie to his face, so he looks away, not saying anything. Brian clicks his tongue in irritation when he sees the bruise on Jae's face,

"Us dating isn't a fault. He's just a piece of trash," Jae answers, and Brian knows he's right, but he can't help but blame himself. Jae can see that in his eyes, so he just kisses him. 

"I swear to God when I see him, I might get expelled for the damage I'll do." Brian says with a tone and expression that proves he's not joking or exaggerating. His eyes are angry, not looking at Jae and his teeth are clenched and his whole demeanour is just negative. Jae places a hand on his cheek,

"Don't fight him, you've done it before and he hasn't stopped..."

"But look at what he did to your face. Are you hurt anywhere else?" he asks, holding Jae's body and Jae immediately shakes my head,

"No, just my face." 

" _This_ time, it was just your face. If I don't fight him now, next time-"

"Don't think about a next time, Bri." and they go quiet. 

"Can you come over after school today?" he asks and Brian breaks out of his fuming trance to look at Jae. As if grounded, his eyes return to the adoring ones Jae knows, and he has a sad smile as he places his hand over Jae's. 

"I wanna be with you."

"You just don't want me beating Kisung's ass right when the bell rings, huh?" and Jae cracks a smile that sends a dull pain in his face,

"You're so smart," he says and Brian laughs, 

"Yeah, I'll come over." and Jae smiles before Brian pulls him in for a kiss - it's long, and they don't notice the door open, but they hear Dowoon's,

"Oh, nope, guess they need more time," and he quickly closes the door again. They laugh, Brian holding Jae's face in his hands as he says,

"I'm so sorry this happened to you." which Jae accepts as Brian kisses his forehead,

"Okay! Come in, sorry!" he yells and Jae laughs at Dowoon's jokingly disgusted expression as the rest of the boys enter the room.

Lunch proceeds as normal, the boys asking if Jae's okay and Sungjin watches him with a small, knowing smile. Brian doesn't leave Jae alone the rest of the school day, and is extra alert on the walk home to Jae's house. They're about to enter when Brian pauses, squeezing his hand, 

"Wait,"

"What?"

"What're we gonna tell your parents about your bruise?" and Brian hates that he even asked and says,

"I'll tell them the truth, that you got beat up because-"

"I fell running up the stairs 'cause I was late for class, what do you mean?" Jae says, fully resolved and acting mode ready. Brian's reminded of his acting on Valentine's Day and wants to smile, but this situation isn't playful or a scheme to ditch a group date.

"No, they should know-"

"It's my face, and if they ask, I'm answering." Jae replies, opening the door,

"I'm home! Brian's here, we'll be in my room!" he says quickly as his parents greet them, Jae's already going up the stairs while Brian gives a polite bow and smile. Brian follows after greeting Jae's parents. 

They're just chilling in Jae's bed, cuddling as per Jae's request, while watching a teen romcom but not really paying attention. Brian's attention hasn't left Jae the minute they laid in his bed, and Jae's not complaining. He kind of wishes Brian would stop looking at him with such apologetic eyes, but he likes the attention and doting, smiling to himself when Brian unconsciously plays with his hair while trying to watch the movie. His stomach still hurts so he's just praying Brian doesn't tickle him or else he'll ask about why he winced instead of laughed. 

"Bri," Jae starts, suppressing a smile,

"Hm?" hums against Jae's neck where he's placing soft kisses,

"Watch the movie."

"I am," he says and Jae can feel him smile before Brian wraps his arms around him, rather tightly but gently enough that Jae can hold in the dull pain. 

Jae's eyelids begin to feel heavy, so somewhere between Brian running his fingers through his hair, and the main girl in the movie getting a makeover, he falls asleep, head on Brian's chest. 

Brian is about to nap too, finding it cute to nap together, but Jae moves in his sleep which lifts up his sweater just slightly, and Brian sees it.

He slowly and carefully lifts up the hem even more, just to be sure, and the bruises are clear. His jaw clenches and he tries to contain his anger as he slowly removes himself from under Jae, making sure to tuck him in and place a kiss on his forehead before leaving his room. Brian says a goodbye to Jae's parents,

"Jae fell asleep, so I'll get going," he says with a smile, itching to just leave,

"Oh okay! You're welcome back anytime, sweetie. Get home safe, I'll tell Jae," his mom says and Brian bows before leaving the Park house.

When Jae awakes, it's already dark and he notices Brian's absence, wondering where he's gone off to. On his desk is a note that reads,

_Had to go do something! I'll text you later, and see you tomorrow_

Accompanied by a cute heart doodle that makes Jae smile.

He goes to the bathroom to wash up and he stares at his bruise. He lifts up his hoodie to check on his stomach, hissing when he accidentally presses a bruise to hard. In the shower, there's something nagging at him, something he knows is stupid but he can't help but feel a certain way about. When Brian was Seungmin's knight, Brian never hesitated to throw a punch - no one could tell him to stop, or calm down. Jae knows he's the one who asked Brian not to do anything, but part of him wishes Brian protested more, wishes he found Kisung and beat him like he did when Seungmin was in danger. He brushes the thought off as he's drying himself, and decides to call Brian which he doesn't pick up and Jae finds that odd - he's usually so quick to answer his calls. 

He must be busy, he thinks and doesn't think about it again as he starts his homework. 

**bri bri: Hey! sorry I missed your call**

**bri bri: was busy but I'm home now!**

Jae smiles as he messages back, mainly at his boyfriend's new contact name, even though he feels like burger kang could've been kept.

**jj: it's okay, was just checking if you were okay**

**jj: I woke and you were gone :(**

**bri bri: ah sorry but you were sleeping so soundly**

**bri bri: I didn't wanna wake youu**

**jj: wow so you just abandon your boyfriend like that**

**bri bri: don't pull that card**

**bri bri: I might walk back over there**

Jae laughs to himself, and decides to take a cute selfie, pouting and hugging a pillow in his free arm,

**jj: that pillow could've been you.**

**jj: but NO you just leAVE ME**

Jae receives a photo from Brian, it's of his usual Converse with one foot already in and laced,

**bri bri: I'm really boutta come back**

**jj: LOL no don't it's late**

**jj: but make it it up to me tomorrow?**

**bri bri: Gladly** ♡

And that heart makes Jae's swell. They decide to call and talk on the phone as Jae finishes up his homework that Brian says he'll finally start. 

The next day at school, Brian's not late but he's not on the slope which Jae finds odd considering they didn't even call that late last night. He walks into class right as the bell rings, his head down but Jae sees his hands that reach for his chair. His knuckles are busted and Jae gets an idea of where Brian left to last night. Jae makes a mental note to bring this up during lunch because he thought things were fine yesterday. He curses that small part of him that wished Brian reacted the way he did with Seungmin. 

It's just them two in the music room, the boys giving them their space again,

"Bri." Jae starts and Brian looks at him, his face sporting small scratches and a bruise,

"What did you do?" and he doesn't answer because he knows it's rhetorical.

"Bri, yesterday things were okay, yeah you were angry but you came over instead of beating him up! He's a waste of your time, why do you keep-"

"Why did you lie to me?" and Jae looks genuinely confused,

"Your stomach. You said he just hit your face, but your stomach was so bruised... What, are you gonna say you fell up the stairs? You have extremely sensitive skin?" and he's clearly irritated so Jae doesn't say anything, instead, wrapping his arms around him. Brian doesn't move at first, not until Jae says,

"Thank you... but you're not a delinquent, Bri. I don't want you to keep getting dragged back into Kisung's crap, even if it's for me." 

Jae closes his eyes in relief when Brian hugs him back,

"He won't stop if I don't do anything,"

"Maybe he likes that you react. Try ignoring it-"

"I ignored it, and you got dragged into a bathroom and if Sungjin didn't need to pee at that time, I don't even wanna think about what he could've done to you." and he's staring at his boyfriend with sincerity,

"So, what do we do?" Jae asks and Brian looks away,

"I handled it..." he almost whispers, and Jae gets concerned,

"Handled it? Bri, what'd you do?"

"Relax, I didn't kill the guy... Just got an upperhand," he says with a mischievous smile and Jae eyes him suspiciously,

"and beat him up just a tiny bit, but that's besides the point,"

"Bri!"

"I wanna put this behind us." Brian cuts off,

"That's why I left last night, because I don't know if we could continue to date comfortably if Kisung was just a constant, annoying threat on the side." he admits and Jae cracks a smile,

"Threat? He barely knows how to play chess," and Brian snorts,

"Chess? That's your requirement of being labled a threat?" 

"No," Jae quickly denies as Brian starts laughing. He steals a quick kiss from Jae, and Jae pouts about to say that now's not the time because he's still upset,

"That was the first and last time he hurts you. I promise. So, can we move past this and continue just being happy together?" and Jae rolls his eyes,

"You're so annoying,"

"What?" Brian asks, surprised, 

"What did I do?"

"You ask as if I'm gonna say no, you already know the answer but you just wanted to be cool." he replies with a smile with his arms crossed and Brian laughs,

"You know me so well," he says with a proud smile, and he's about to lean in for another kiss when they hear

"Are you guys done fighting?!" from outside the room,

"I'm hungry!" Wonpil yells and Brian settles of a quick kiss, a bonus on Jae's neck before running to open the doors,

"Why're you out of breath- Oh gross!" Sungjin looks between the two who look extremely confused,

"In the music room?!" Sungjin's teasing catches him off guard, and Brian stutters in his protest,

"W-What, no! What're you even talking about?! I just ran to open the door! I wasn't even out of breath!" Brian yells as he shoves his best friend who's laughing loudly as he makes his way to his usual spot and Jae flushes a bright red.

They put the Kisung incident behind them, Jae genuinely curious as to what Brian's upperhand is - but as long as it's working, he's content. Days turn into weeks, turn into months that pass by. Their relationship is going well, they're comfortable with each other but they haven't lost that flustering spark, and there are dates where Jae swears he falls for Brian all over again. There are also days where Brian wonders how it's possible that Jae never fails to give him butterflies. They celebrate their monthiversaries at various places, and their kisses have grown more intense - they were teenage boys, afterall. They hang out with the boys like they usually do, and since they're all couples now, a group hang out doesn't feel like a date with third-wheelers. The days get warmer and they're only 2 months away from graduation. They have some fights, and even if there is a dispute, they make sure to talk things out because they both want this to work. That's what they said - just like the time they proclaimed their relationship to Jae's parents, they said they want to date seriously and last a long time.

So, Jae's wondering why, in his room on a night his parents are out of town, Brian says a seemingly strenuous sentence - his eyes not meeting Jae's in confidence like they usually do, he's further away than he usually would be, as he says,

"Jae, I love you," for the first time so Jae seriously doesn't understand why he adds,

"But let's break up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment any thoughts, I'd love to know! :) thank you for reading <3


	15. Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter&instagram: @zenkrcovers | kakao: zenaya  
> feel free to message me on either, I'd love to make Myday pals! ^_^ <3

"What?" and Brian doesn't want to repeat it, but he does.

"Let's break up."

"No, what you said before that." and Brian finally looks at Jae, for the first time since he walked into his familiar room, and when he does, it hurts. Jae just stares at him, waiting, until Brian eventually repeats, slower than when he initially said it, 

"Jae..." he wants to convey the sincerity, he needs Jae to know that he truly means this. 

"I love you-"

"Bull." and Brian's eyes go sad, even Jae sees it.

"W-What?"

"Bullshit," Jae repeats, continuing,

"You love me?" he asks as if offended Brian even had the audacity to say that, his eyes angry yet lined with tears, and Brian doesn't even get to answer before Jae asks,

"And you wanna break up with me?" and his tone is now confused, and Brian wants to apologize but he can't.

He can't say anything, can't do anything as Jae tries to process things. Jae's looking around the room, Brian can see he's trying to figure out where things went wrong, and he wants to tell him nowhere. He knows Jae's searching for a moment where maybe he messed up, or Brian's feelings faded, and he wants to tell him that's not it. Brian's heart hurts when Jae looks at him, defeated, and says a soft, broken,

"Why?" Brian rehearsed this.

"It's better if we stopped dating,"

Jae narrows his eyes and shakes his head slightly, questioning if he heard that correctly,

"Better? For who? Me?" he asks with a sad smile that makes Brian want to abandon this plan, 

"You?" and Brian quickly shakes his head, denying,

"No." 

"Then who? What benefits from us breaking up?"

"It's just better that way."

"I don't understand how," and Brian looks away, his eyes landing on the teddy bear from the school fair,

"Please believe me when I say that I do love you..." he looks at Jae for some indicator,

"But we should stop dating here." he pleads, sincerely. Hopes his eyes can convince Jae, to stop asking questions and just let things go, but he knows his boyfriend better than that, so he's not surprised when Jae sets his jaw and replies,

"No." 

Brian wants to crack a smile, he's known Jae isn't one to simply follow orders. Just like when he stood up to that creeper on Valentine's Day, when he talked back to Kisung, when he allows himself to be transparent and shameless. Admirable, Brian admits, but a trait that makes this so much harder.

"No?" 

"Yes, no to both of your statements." Brian surpresses a smile. 

"No, I don't believe that you love me. If you did, why are you breaking up with me? And _no_ , we shouldn't just stop dating here, right now. Not without an explanation and a valid reason because I know you, and you wouldn't just do this."

"But I am." is the response Jae doesn't expect but he's not backing down anytime soon,

"Like Hell I'll just let you,"

"I'm asking you to,"

"And my answer is no! Break up rejected, dating continues." Brian really loves him.

"Jae, please-"

"Then why? I'll hear you out, just tell me why." Jae's starting to get angry,

"Is it Kisung? I thought we put that behind us."

"I can't tell you why." Jae flails his arms in frustration,

"So I'm just supposed to let you do this?"

"Yes! Please!"

"You really expected me to just let you end us, after the things we've been through? After we agreed we would try and take this relationship seriously?!"

"Obviously I knew you wouldn't, but I just wish you would!" 

Their voices are slowly getting louder, Jae getting frustrated and Brian wishing Jae was simply a pushover.

"Then tell me why!"

"I can't bring myself to,"

"Why not?!"

"Because I'm sorry we started dating in the first place!" _Oh, no... That's not how it was supposed to be worded_. Brian completely scraps the script he rehearsed in his head, all the things he was prepared to say now rendered useless because he didn't think before speaking. 

" _What?_ " and Brian knows that broke Jae. It seems like he's been repeating himself a lot during this conversation, and each time he says anything isn't any easier than the first.

"I-I don't mean it like that." and Jae squints,

"What other way could you mean that, Brian?" It's been a while since he's heard that instead of Bri or Bri Bri. 

"I'm sorry that I dragged you into this,"

"Into what?"

"This situation! Why I'm breaking up with you!"

"Jesus Brian, I'm trying to hear you out, but you're not talking and it's really frustrating me, and hurting me," Jae admits,

"So then just tell me to leave!"

"No! Because I wanna fight for us! Am I the only one?" he asks, 

"No, but I need to do this!" Jae groans in irritation, 

"Why?!"

"Because I'm moving away!" he breaks. Not as good of a reason as Jae thought - not that there would be any reason for Jae to just say okay and let things end. But he knows Brian wouldn't just end things if he was just moving to another neighbourhood.

"Where?" Brian doesn't answer, and Jae's patience is really thinning.

"To another city?" he shakes his head,

"Province?" he repeats the action, and it's a few moments of silence before Jae states,

"Country." and Brian doesn't deny it with a shake of his head.

"Which one? Japan?" Jae hopes somewhere close,

"China?" Somewhere that won't be too hard to visit, somewhere not too far from him. Please. Brian exhales,

"Canada," he answers and Jae's eyes widen slightly.

"Canada." he repeats. Not close at all, across the world actually, with an opposite time zone, a 14-hour flight away and that's with no stopovers. 

"Yeah," Brian starts,

"I'm going to university in Toronto." 

It's quiet in Jae's room, the small distance between them feeling greater than ever, like they're on opposite sides of a canyon and Brian feels like plunging down into the nothing. Dramatic, maybe, but his love with Jae is the only kind he knows. 

"How long have you known?" _Ah, fuck._

"A while,"

"How long?" A few, reluctant, seconds pass before Brian answers,

"Since I started high school." and Jae furrows his brows in confusion, prompting an explanation.

"My parents decided to move but they said they'd wait until I finished high school. We fought a lot because of this, especially this year, and trust me, I've tried to convince them to change their minds, or at least just let me stay but..." Jae doesn't respond, he's just staring at Brian.

"It's not like our relationship was ever good to begin with," Jae squints as if saying, _really?_ and Brian quickly realizes and clarifies,

"Between me and my parents." 

And it clicks - why Brian never accepted any confessions or dated anyone throughout high school. Why he would never participate in the conversation of university applications, or try to change the subject when they would talk about acceptances. His vague and dejected comments about his parents, that one time when Jae was at Sungjin's house and Brian just walked out, just the trivial things that all together make sense.

"Are you for sure going?" and Brian nods,

"University of Toronto. I already have my acceptance and courses." he confesses, and Jae just nods. 

"Jae, I'm sorry-"

"So, did you just decide for us that we couldn't handle a long distance relationship?" Jae cuts him off, tears of sadness or frustration, Brian can't tell, threatening to fall.

"Huh?" 

"You didn't even talk to me about it and decided it would be better to just end things between us. It's not just you in this relationship, Bri,"

"I didn't wanna hurt you by talking about it," Jae scoffs,

"Didn't wanna hurt me? What the Hell did you think breaking up with me would do?" The lesser of two evils, Brian thinks.

"At least then you would already dislike me when I left,"

"Oh my God," Jae groans, frustrated and Brian's just standing there like a deer in headlights, a mess of trying to make things better but trying to end everything. 

"Do the guys know?"

"Sungjin and Wonpil do." and Jae nods again.

"Jae, I'm sorry I acted on my feelings for you. I was able to keep it up for 3 years and I could've graduated quietly but then you..." he trails off, looking at Jae with fond eyes,

"You happened. Confessing to me by accident, me teaming up with you to get you with Sungjin. I don't know why I couldn't control myself with you, and I tried, I swear I tried... I didn't hesitate just because you liked Sungjin, I told myself I couldn't have you because I would be leaving you." Jae listens because finally, Brian's talking.

"But then we kept spending time together, and then there was that New Years thing and you liked me too, and I just wanted to be happy." he rambles, defeated and tired,

"I wanted to be happy with you."

"And we are, so why do you want to just end this?"

"Do you know how selfish it'd be to ask you to endure a long distance relationship?" Brian asks, 

"After I've already done the selfish thing and asked you to be my boyfriend? Even I don't have the audacity to ask you about this-"

"But you should have!" Jae argues,

"You should have told me! Asked me! Anything before just deciding we weren't gonna try-"

"Try to maintain a relationship across the world?"

"People do it,"

"We're 18!" Brian points out,

"This is both of our first relationships, we're about to move on to university and we haven't even been dating a year. Isn't it too much to ask for? Getting too serious too soon, too young? The people who do this and make this work usually aren't in those circumstances,"

"So you just concluded that for both of us. That we couldn't do it, couldn't make it work." Jae says, and Brian knows that's probably the part that angers Jae the most. He keeps repeating it, and he's not necessarily completely wrong. 

"Yeah, I did." he confesses regretfully, finally, and Jae bites his lower lip as he starts to tear up again.

"Because I didn't wanna restrict you, hold you back while I'm across the freakin' world. I decided it for us because I know you and you would've chose to go through the pain of the distance than this and Jae, this hurts like Hell for me too but I wanted this to be a one-and-done type thing. Nothing compared to the daily pain of the kilometres that're gonna be between us."

"One-and-done... Our relationship, just like that..." Jae laughs, but it's not a pleasant sound like it usually is,

"And you say you love me..."

"I do." and that's practically the only words Brian's said with confidence this whole conversation.

Both of their gazes leave each other, settling on other things in the room that has traces of Brian around it. It's quiet for a bit, neither knowing what to do or say, until Jae breaks it with,

"Maybe we should stop." Brian wanted this. He asked for this, hoped for this, for Jae to let it happen. So he hates that he looks at Jae with eyes slightly widened in surprise. He really broke him, huh? 

"We should just..." Jae nods, still contemplating his own words,

"Stop." and Brian nods too, clenching his jaw so that tears don't pool or fall.

"Because there's no point in us fighting, you deciding this was better than trying to make it work means we already lost." Brian bites his tongue, not having the courage to look at Jae anymore.

"Please go." and he steps aside and Brian wants to take everything back, tell him again that he really loves him, but he nods and walks out in silence. Brian goes down the stairs, just in time to meet Jae's parents who were returning from their little trip, and he instinctively goes to help with their bags.

"Oh, Brian!" his mom says, excited as she pulls him in for a hug,

"Are you staying for dinner?" Mr. Park asks, and Jae answers for Brian, standing in the middle of the staircase,

"No, he was just about to leave." Brian looks up at him, the welcoming smile fading as he meets Jae's eyes.

"Are you sure? Stay for a bit, we just got back-"

"Mom, Brian has to go." he interjects and she can hear something in his tone, so she doesn't push further.

"Oh... Okay. Maybe next time," and Jae looks away before going back upstairs to his room, and Brian shows them a polite smile, wondering if there'll be a next time.

After a quiet dinner, Jae just goes back up into his room. Jae's sitting in his bed, not doing much other than breathing and staring when he hears a knock at his door. 

"Yeah?," and cracks a small smile when his mom pokes her head through the doorframe,

"Can I come in?" and Jae gives permission with a nod. She sits on Jae's bed, looking at him with cautious eyes and Jae already knows that she knows.

"Do we have like telepathy or something?"

"Hm?" she asks with a confused expression,

"How do you always know what's going on with me?"

"Well, you, like your dad, wear your heart on your sleeve... So does Brian, apparently." and Jae laughs lightly, he can feel all the emotions stirring back up.

"What happened?" she tries, softly and almost comforting in some odd way.

"Brian's stupid," Jae says, letting tears fall for the first time today. 

"He's stupid, and annoying, a-and he's selfish and he's an idiot, ugh," and his mom just listens. He looks at his mom with teary eyes, defeated with a sad smile as he says,

"He said he loved me today," and his mom wants to smile before he adds,

"and now we're in this completely unnecessary stage of stupid heartbreak because he's dumb and thinks this is the answer to something we didn't even try to solve... He's moving away, Mom," he says, and she just pulls him into a hug as he continues,

"Far. Like across the world far... and maybe he's right. Maybe this is better." 

After a long talk with his mom about relationships, breakups not being the end of the world, and Brian, Jae's exhausted. He showers and is settling into bed when his eyes catch the plane model Brian got him for Christmas. He hates it. Not because his "ex-boyfriend" got it for him, but because as much as he loves planes, that's the thing that'll be taking Brian away after they get their diplomas and throw their caps. Jae wonders what kind of aircraft model Brian will ride on his flight that'll take him so far away from his side.

The next day at school is interesting. They walk up the slope like normal, talking to the other guys and Brian's almost impressed by how wide Jae can smile but he's doing the same thing. They didn't announce their break-up to the group mainly because that would mean affirming it, and because they didn't make a big deal about starting to date, so why make a big deal once it's over? 

"Did you guys really?" Sungjin asks as him and Brian are walking home,

"What was I gonna do? Ask him to deal with the distance?"

"Not necessarily, but you knew what you were doing when you asked him to be your boyfriend..." he points out,

"I know. That's why I wasn't gonna tell him the reason, I just wanted to end things,"

"Jae? Let you just end things?" Wonpil comments with a laugh,

"I know, I know, I'm an idiot. But we're too young, too new at dating and life to make things work across the globe." Sungjin looks at him,

"Remember when we were kids and we hated hearing that? You're too young for that, you wouldn't know. Oh, this is adult business, you're just a kid... Like, yeah we're young, but if you wanted to, maybe you guys could at least try?" and Brian nods in thought.

"But yeah you're an idiot,"

"Hey,"

"But for him." Sungjin elaborates and Brian eyes him, confused,

"It may have been dumb, but what else were you gonna do to minimize how much you hurt him? I probably would've done the same thing, maybe Jae would too if the roles were reversed. He just can't see that 'cause both of you are dumbly in love with each other that it shuts down your logic," Brian and Wonpil stare at him in amazement.

"I'm so lucky," Wonpil whispers and Brian rolls his eyes,

"Great, a love lecture from my best friend after breaking up with Jae, exactly what I needed."

"My sessions are usually charged by the hour, so you're welcome,"

"That was like a 1 minute speech," Brian points out, shaking his head in disapproval,

"And taking my usual fee of $45 per hour and dividing it by-" he gets cut off when Brian shoves him and they laugh.

"Granted, maybe your approach wasn't the best. You just dropped like 3 things on the poor guy, said 'I love you', then 'let's break up', and then 'by the way, I'm moving'" he points out.

"I was confident I thought things through, though,"

"Yeah, maybe. But with a mindset of 'how do I minimize the hurt I cause Jae'. You should've used the mindset 'how can we make it through this together. Not just as Brian and as Jae, but as Brian and Jae.' You get me?" 

"Where the Hell is this all coming from?"

"He reads a lot of romance mangas," Wonpil exposes and Brian snorts,

"Actually, part of his speech just now was directly quoted from this one manga- Ow!" and Sungjin just has an unamused expression as he says,

"That's what you get. I told you that in confidence."

"I technically admitted to reading them with you, so don't hit me!" Wonpil says as he smacks Sungjin back, and Brian just smiles as they walk home.

"When're you gonna tell Dowoon and Junhyeok?"

"That we broke up or I'm leaving?"

"Both," Sungjin replies,

"Soon... I just wanna figure things out with Jae first,"

"Aren't you just broken up? That's that?" Wonpil asks with an expectant smile. It should be that simple, right? He initiated this, so he should just let things be. Make them suffer like this until he flies away.

"Maybe... I don't know." and they leave it at that.

Soon isn't soon at all.

Graduation is 2 weeks away and seeing Brian everyday at school isn't any more comfortable or pleasant. Brian's been wracking his brain and his heart to just make a decision, gather the courage to do something, say something. The group has picked up on the dynamics between them, so no one really mentions it - Jae's thankful for that because a small part of him was wondering if it would still be okay to be friends with them. Brian was their bridge, afterall. It's after school, the day they picked up their gowns and caps, when Jae's mom answers the door with a surprised,

"Oh!" Brian has a nervous smile,

"Hi Mrs. Park," and she gives him a comforting smile back.

"Hi Brian, long time no see," and he just nods.

"Is Jae home?" 

"Yes, right upstairs."

"Could I.. uh," he knows it's not his place to do this. Not anymore, not for the past 2 weeks.

"Could I steal him for a bit?" and Jae's mom looks at him with both sorry and unsure eyes,

"Oh, sweetie..." she says,

"Please. I just wanna talk... Could you please tell him I'll wait in the car outside for 30 minutes, and if he doesn't come out, I got the message and I'll leave him alone." his mom doesn't react just yet, just looking at Brian's sorry eyes,

"Please." he repeats. She nods slowly, and Brian says,

"Thank you, Mrs. Park, thank you." and she gives him a small smile before telling him she'll go tell Jae, and she closes the door.

"Yeah?" Jae says when he hears the knocks on his door. His mom pops her head in and says,

"Brian's downstairs..." Jae blinks at her before turning back around to his homework. She tells him the situation and leaves him alone with the decision to make. He's trying to focus on this History assignment, but his concentration is thrown completely off.

_Dammit! I was doing so well!_ he thinks, slamming his pen down.

_All of a sudden he wants to talk? What, he think he can just waltz to my house thinking everything will be okay? Sweep me away like he used to? Who the Hell does he think he is?!_

Jae stares at the words of the textbook, all of them losing their meaning. He buries his head into his arms and sighs. 

_He's Brian._

In the car, Brian's checking his phone every minute, swearing they're dragging on with weights hindering their passing, and counts 19 when he sees Jae emerge and make his way to the passenger seat. He opens the door and reluctantly yet angrily sits down, making the point that he's still upset.

"Hey," Brian starts, looking at Jae with a thankful smile, but Jae keeps his eyes down and doesn't greet.

"You came out a lot earlier than expected," and Jae looks at him,

"Earlier?" and Brian nods,

"I thought you'd wait until the last minute to come out. You know, make me wait for 29 minutes," and Jae scoffs, suppressing a smile.

"My mom told me you'd be waiting for 20." he informs and Brian wants to run back in and hug Mrs. Park.

"and I could've not come out at all." he points out and Brian puts on a small smile,

"No, I knew you would. So did your mom, that's why she shortened the time, to make you talk to me sooner."

"Oh, make _me_ talk? Funny, last time we conversed, pretty sure I was the one dragging all the words out of you." shuts Brian up and he's reminded of why he's there. 

"Put your seatbelt on," he informs, starting the car,

"What? No. You said you just wanted to talk."

"Not in your driveway, put it on."

Jae doesn't respond, pouting like a toddler and Brian scoffs, he missed this petty yet cute Jae. He leans over and puts it on Jae himself, Jae tensing at the closeness.

_Loser, he was your boyfriend 2 weeks ago, you guys have done more than graze sweater sleeves,_ Jae thinks ignoring his heart that sped up just a bit. Once he hears a click, Brian looks at Jae, staring until Jae says,

"W-What?" _Ugh, lame._ Brian smiles, fond and apologetic,

"I love you." and proceeds to back out of the driveway as he leaves Jae flustered and scrambling for words.

Jae can already tell where they're going by the route, and he's not too sure if he's up for watching planes tonight - because in 2 weeks time, Brian will be on one. Regardless, Brian parks and Jae stays still for a while before getting out of the truck and going to the back. He gets on himself this time, not needing Brian's hand that was extended for him. 

"You know what?" he says, situating himself in the blankets and pillows, the set up so familiar and comforting. He thought he was very, very slowly moving on from Brian, but who was he kidding? When Brian said he loved him, he wanted to say it right back. Hell, he wants to say it right now. Because regardless of how upset and hurt he is, he still came out to talk to Brian. He didn't get out of the car, he didn't stop Brian from putting on his seatbelt, or driving. He even got into the back of the truck himself, and is holding his favourite pillow - one Brian promised he'd bring everytime they went plane watching - looking at the boy he loves. Maybe he's naive and young, but that's why he wants to cherish this love even more. The love Brian taught him, showed him, gave him. He doesn't like that that's in past tense, so he hopes they can revive the love Brian continues to teach him, show him, give him. 

Brian didn't expect Jae to initiate the conversation, so he lets out a surprised,

"Hm?"

"You're so annoying." he says,

"Uh," Brian almost panics, concluding this night probably won't go in his favour.

"You're the person I care for the most, someone I wanna be with, and put effort into. Literally the only person that can make me this happy. You've really changed my life and I love you," he says, in passing, payback for Brian using those 3 words to preface his break-up. Before Brian can even comment, Jae just naturally continues,

"But you're also the only person who can make me this irritated and angry! You're an idiot for pulling that shit 2 weeks ago,"

Brian nods in agreement, scratching his nape as he looks down at the pillows,

"But I still friggin' like you, so I guess that makes me an idiot too." 

They stare at each other before Brian cautiously says,

"Did... Did you say you love me?"

"You don't get to ask questions or for repetition." and he surrenders with a nod immediately.

"Can we talk things out?" he asks. Jae looks at the approaching summer sky just a bit longer before looking to his side with a small smile,

"Let's talk." he replies as a plane flies in overhead. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is that the reason you expected Brian to initiate the split?? :D anyway, this is the second last chapter so! please comment any thoughts, I'd really love to read them and talk to you guys! ^_^ thank you for reading. <3


	16. Landing

"I know I hurt you. Like an idiot, by trying to lessen the hurt I knew I was gonna cause, I hurt you a Hell of a lot more than I meant to..." 

"Do you get why I was so hurt?" _We're really talking,_ Brian thinks happily, hopefully. He nods slowly,

"Because I decided everything for us without even talking to you first,"

"Yeah. Which made me feel like you decided I wasn't worth trying for."

"That's not what I meant-"

"I know, but it really felt like it. I get it, we're gonna be in 2 completely different countries, opposite time zones and it's not like we can visit each other's uni campuses on our free time... But it would've been nice to be given the chance to decide that."

"I'm sorry." Brian acknowledges and Jae gives him a sad smile,

"I should've talked to you about, asked you or something... but that's why I'm trying to make it up to you now, if I even can. Or at least just try to make you hate me less before I go." and Jae laughs, or more accurately, blows air through his nose in slight amusement. 

"I'm really sorry about breaking up with you. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about Toronto, I'm sorry I just dropped a bunch of things on you and I'm sorry I didn't talk. Honestly, looking back, I don't know how you didn't slap me in the face because I was being so annoying, sorry," and Jae giggles, just barely and that causes Brian to smile. 

"I really mean this, Jae." and he knows what he's going to say,

"I love you." and he tries really hard to suppress the smile that Brian can tell is creeping up,

"And I'm really sorry." and it goes quiet. They're just staring at each other, Brian not doing anything to prompt a response, and Jae just looking into eyes he's been avoiding for 2 weeks.

"That was better," Jae replies with a small smile, and Brian's confused.

"What?"

"When you broke up with me, you apologized... but you said you were sorry for dating me. I'm happy I didn't have to hear that again. You apologized for the right thing this time," he jokes, nudging Brian with his elbow playfully.

"I love you too." and Brian's eyes go wide with excitement, 

"But we're not done talking." Jae warns, laughing when Brian drops his shoulders to sulk. 

"I'm just happy we're talking, to be honest... I really missed you." 

"I'm gonna miss you." Jae says, his eyes on the airplane that's about to take off and Brian habitually grabs his chin, and pulls him in for a kiss. Jae doesn't resist, kissing him back immediately. When they pull away, Brian's eyes linger on Jae's lips and he whispers,

"So, are we back together?" 

"No, I'm still mad at you." Jae pouts and it's too cute to ignore so Brian gives him a quick peck, 

"Fair... But after you're done being mad at me, are we back together?" he asks, cutely resting his head on Jae's shoulder, looking up at him with pleading eyes. Jae shoves him off,

"You're so annoying," but he has the widest smile as he says that and Brian goes behind him to wrap his arms around him. He missed this, a lot. He nestles his face into the crook of Jae's neck, 

"I said I was mad at you," Jae warns with a smile,

"Oh c'mon, I know you missed this."

"Doesn't change the fact that I'm mad at you." and Brian goes to unwrap his arms when Jae places his hand on top of Brian's. 

"You're so cute," Brian says between laughter and places kisses on Jae's neck. They settle into comfortable silence, watching the planes and Jae gets sad again. A couple of minutes pass by when Brian starts,

"Hey Jae?" and Jae can feel the vibrations on Brian's chest that he's leaning on now.

"Hm?"

"I know you're still mad at me... But can I ask you to still be my boyfriend even when I leave?" and Jae doesn't respond just yet, letting Brian continue,

"I get it if you don't want to. It'll be hard, and you're going into university where you'll meet a ton of new people, people who would be able to be by your side daily... You could easily find someone else, someone who'd be able to hug you, kiss you, and hold your hand at school. _Lucky,_ " Brian whispers but Jae can hear it,

"So I'd get it if you said no... I just wanted to ask this time."

"Hell yeah, that's hard..." Jae starts, but smiles as he says,

"But we can try. People do it, so why can't we?" and Brian squeezes him tighter and just repeatedly whispers "thank you" as a plane lands.

They talk other things out, Brian telling Jae he's going to be majoring in Business Administration, the airline and flight details. He talks about how big the campus is, comparing it to Hogwarts in the heart of Toronto, to which Jae approves after Brian shows him some photos. They continue talking, making up for regretfully lost time from the short amount they have left together, watching planes and enjoying each other's presence until the sky is dark. 

"I gotta get you home," Brian says from the ground, arms crossed and elbows propped up on the back of the truck that Jae refuses to get out of. He's wearing a content smile,

"No~" Jae groans,

"C'mon, it's late," he points out and Jae sits up.

"Fine, but if we're going home, you're staying for dinner."

"Don't your parents hate me now?"

"My mom's literally a cheerleader for us, and my dad said he missed his billiards buddy."

"Really? When?" Brian asks with a happy smile,

"He let it slip like last week when we were in the basement." Jae answers and they laugh.

"Okay, stop distracting me, let's go." and he extends his hand. Jae tosses the pillow to the side and grabs Brian's hand, intertwining their fingers when he hops down. They get back in the truck, and drive home, Brian not letting go of Jae's hand as he steers with one hand - being extra careful to make up for it.

"Come in," Jae says, motioning with his hand for Brian to come inside as he stands outside,

"I-Is it okay?"

"Oh Brian! Did you guys talk things out?" Jae's mom asks from, popping her head into the foyer from the kitchen.

"Yes mom... thanks for lying about the time by the way,"

"You waited 19 minutes to go out anyway!" she says and hugs her son as Jae rolls his eyes.

"What're you doing outside, Bri? Come in, let's have dinner." she says with a welcoming smile, and Brian's reminded of where Jae gets his kindness from. 

"Are you sure?" he asks with a nervous smile. Jae walks over, grabs his hand and pulls him, 

"Yeah, c'mon, show my mom the photos of your campus," he says with a smile and Brian wants to cry. What a beautiful person to fall in love with. Brian reluctantly goes inside and greets Jae's dad with a polite shake of hands. They talk over dinner, Brian talking about the university he'll be attending, and the couple sharing their plan, or lack thereof, for their future. Brian's thankful he's able to sit at this table again, accepted and welcomed with forgiving arms, and he looks to his side to see the person he really wants to treat right.

Brian's leaving the day after graduation, which comes too quickly for either of them. It's weird, the 2 weeks they were apart felt like 2 months, but these 2 weeks felt like 2 minutes. 2 minutes of make-up dates, the group teasing them with "we knew you guys were gonna get back together", taking advantage of Jae's parents being out of town for a night. A night with kisses that escalated and involved Brian asking "are you sure?" before Jae's room was filled with gasps and moans. And as much as they hated their approaching goodbye, it still came. 

"Oh, flowers?" Jae asks when he opens the door, Brian already in his gown and cap.

"For my favourite graduate," he says with a dashing smile, and Jae accepts them.

"Lame!" Sungjin screams from the car,

"Why did I agree to give him a ride to the ceremony?" Brian thinks aloud and Jae laughs,

"Because graduates have to be there early, and Junhyeok took the usual,"

"Oh, _the usual_? Look at you, all natural in the group now." Brian teases, 

"Brian, you look so cute with your suit!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Park," he replies, smiling as Jae nods in agreement.

"Sweetie get over there, let me take photos of you two," and Jae doesn't protest, going to Brian's side with the flowers. Brian naturally places his arm around Jae's waist, pulling him just a bit closer and they smile as Jae's mom takes multiple photos.

"What's taking so long!" Sungjin yells, oblivious to the impromptu photoshoot and Brian laughs,

"Mrs. Park is taking photos of us, be patient!" he yells back and and he laughs even harder at Sungjin's response of,

"O-Oh! Sorry! I mean, it's not taking long at all!" and Mrs. Park says with light laughter,

"Sungjin-ah, come here for photos!" and he promptly does so, quickly exiting the car and joining for the photos, standing on the other side of Jae.

Jae smiles and thinks it's funny, the current trio taking photos. How 10 months ago, he randomly confessed to Brian thinking it was Sungjin, and in some twist of fate, Brian's initial words were right "maybe it was fate". He's thankful the window was open that day, that Sungjin didn't get the letter, and that Brian agreed to help him. Things may be very different if he confessed to Sungjin that day, instead it was just an early confession to his current boyfriend.

"Honey, stop taking photos, they'll be late," Jae's dad says, walking over and smiling at the boys.

"Oh right! Okay, you boys should get going. We'll see you soon, drive safe Brian!"

"Yes ma'am," he replies as they walk to the car, Jae kicking Sungjin out of passenger seat. 

When they get to the venue, they meet up with the rest of their group before having to fall in line according to their last name. The ceremony is long, and rather boring. Jae doesn't even know half of the people that go up on stage and receive their diploma, just claps respectfully and receives slight entertainment if the recipient's friends decide to yell something as they walk across stage. He wonders how time went by so quickly, he remembers the first day of highschool. He remembers being alone for 2 years, until he decided to randomly make a paper airplane which brought him to 5 other boys. 1 a little more special than the rest, he thinks with a smile. 

"Kang Younghyun," one of the school's staff announces, breaking Jae out of his trance as he watches his boyfriend who's wearing that classic dashing smile that's hard to resist. He shakes the principal's hand, the vice principals' and poses for the official photo with his diploma. Jae claps extra enthusiastically, and considering he's in the same row as Sungjin, he clearly hears,

"Kang Bri!" and Brian smiles wider as Jae screams,

"Woo! Love you!" with a smile. He faintly hears Dowoon and Junhyeok cheering, and can see Wonpil in line jumping in support despite the looks of distaste from his surrounding classmates. The group cheers for each other, and when Jae gets up on stage, he hears the screams of his friends - ones he never expected to have. He never thought that when he received his diploma, he'd have people other than his parents cheering for him, but he does. He has the friends he's come to love, and his boyfriend. His boyfriend that's leaving him tomorrow. 

After the ceremony, the boys meet in the lobby of the venue, their parents taking photos of the group. Jae holding the flowers Brian had gotten him, and they decide to huddle and throw their caps together. And just like that, they're high school graduates who begin university in just 2 months - Brian starting in a different country. The post graduation celebration is at Jae's house, where they order food, talk, play games, do everything they usually do because Brian doesn't want a farewell just yet, that's for tomorrow morning at the airport.

Brian sleeps over, and they're just cuddling in Jae's bed, Brian's arms wrapped around him, as if trying to pull him closer when there's no space left between them. He's buried his face in the crook of Jae's neck, breathing slowly and just trying to remember his scent,

"I love you," he mutters against Jae's skin, and he keeps on repeating it as Jae starts to tear up.

"I love you too." he suppresses the tears. Brian lifts up his face to kiss Jae - deep, slow and loving. Their kisses become desperate, Jae feels Brian smirk against his lips when he lets out a sound. 

"Boys!" accompanied by a rapid knock on the door, and they break apart, lips glossy.

"Yeah?" Jae replies

"Your dad and I will be back, church committee needs to meet up," 

"Okay, how long?" Jae asks and Brian smiles and resumes kissing Jae's neck,

"Not that long, maybe an hour or 2?" 

"So 2 or 3 rounds," Brian whispers in Jae's ear, and laughs when he gets a smack in the chest, 

"Okay! Drive safe," Jae says, 

"You guys be safe too," his mom says with her knowing tone and Jae groans,

"Oh my God."

"Love you, be back soon!" and hear her go down the stairs, the front door open and close.

"You should sleep, you have to go back home early tomorrow morning,"

"I _am_ gonna sleep... with you." and Jae rolls his eyes with a smile and just pulls Brian down by his collar to kiss him as Brian begins moving. 

Jae wears Brian's sweater the next morning despite the heat, his hickeys hidden by the fabric that smells like Brian. Brian, too, has to hide a few markings, and he reasons that the plane will probably be cold anyway.

The group of boys are all at the airport, waiting for Brian's departure. His parents are close by, talking to Jae's parents who've also come to say goodbye. As the time for their flight approaches, they begin hugging and saying their see-you-soon's. He hugs Junhyeok who's already crying and Dowoon comforts him with a laugh before hugging Brian too. He gives Wonpil a tight squeeze, and does his handshake with Sungjin before pulling him into a long hug.

"Stay healthy, and we'll see you soon, okay, Kang Bri?" and Brian nods and Sungjin looks away when the pull apart,

"Oh! Is Sungjin crying?!" he asks, and Sungjin laughs,

"You're tearing up too!" and Brian wears a sad smile,

"Well yeah. I won't have you guys by my side for the first time." 

"We're only a text or phonecall away," Wonpil says, crying and Sungjin has to hold him,

"We're so lame, why're we crying?" Dowoon comments and they laugh.

Then Brian turns to Jae whose breaths are shallow to avoid crying, but the tears are there. Brian reaches into his carry-on and pulls out a box, hands it to Jae.

"How come Jae gets a leaving present?" Sungjin jokes,

"You should've dated me then," 

"You had a strict no dating policy for this exact reason!" and the group laughs,

"It's not too late," Brian plays along and Sungjin turns to Wonpil,

"Okay, Wonpil, I hate to say it-" and he gets cut off with a smack.

A voice rings through the airport, announcing that their plane will be boarding soon. Jae doesn't care about what model it is. The boys give the couple their space,

"I love you," Brian says, with a bright smile despite the tears,

"I love you too." 

"We can make this work," 

"We can. We'll try, and we will." 

"Don't fall for anyone while I'm gone! No sidekicks that turn into lovers," he warns and Jae smiles,

"Don't be too charming over there, no being a sidekick for anyone regardless of who they like."

"Don't go plane watching without me." and Jae lets the tears fall, Brian starts to cry too as Jae slowly replies,

"Of course... I can't watch them without my favourite pillows, blankets, truck..." Brian smiles,

"And person."

"Brian," his parents urge, and he gives a nod. 

"I'll message you as soon as I arrive. Thank you for putting yourself through this. I love you, a lot." and he kisses Jae, one more time. Slow, desperate and a silent "I'll miss you." 

"See you soon," Jae says,

"See you. I'll miss you!" 

Brian says one last round of goodbyes to the group, and is about to go to his gate. They're watching him walk when he stops and ruffles in his bag,

"Jae!" 

It's a simple way of folding one, and its flight isn't that graceful, but it still gets to him.

"Read it later," he says and Jae holds the paper airplane close, nods with a smile as he tears up again. 

Brian's seated in the plane, looks at his phone lockscreen of a cute, lazy photo of him and Jae, watching planes. 

When Jae gets home, his parents leave him alone for a bit. He opens the gift, and he smiles. It's a calendar for the next year - but it's for plane lovers, because each day has a paper airplane model to build. He realizes it's been opened already, and decides to read the letter, unfolding it.

_Hi JJ!_

> _If you opened the gift before this letter, yes I opened it because this plane was part of the kit. Not gonna lie, the instructions weren't that clear so ignore the wrinkles please I struggled for like 10 minutes._

Jae snorts, visualizing Brian's determined and focused expression while trying to fold a simple plane.

> _364 planes until I see you again. Let's think of it this way, shall we? :)_
> 
> _Jae, I love you a lot. This isn't a goodbye letter, because we'll see each other soon, but I figured I a see-you-soon letter was in order._
> 
> _You know, when I met you and you liked Sungjin, I was okay with that. When I started to like you and you still liked Sungjin, I was okay with that. Because I thought I couldn't have you. But you told me, showed me and taught me differently. I'm really thankful you're the person I fell in love with. That you're willing to take a chance on this distance, on me..._
> 
> _But hey, I know we're still really young. I know it won't be easy. And there might be misunderstandings and fights, and our time differences are wild but, I think we can do it. I wanna do it._
> 
> _Sorry your boyfriend is selfish and is going to uni across the world, but I'll make it up to you every minute I'm back home. I'll text you, call you, video chat you. Everything!_

Jae smiles sadly, 

> _I'm sorry I couldn't even stay the summer, but next year I'll stay for 2 months. My parents can't stop that hehehe_
> 
> _Until then, I'll miss you! Your cute little face. So adorable, it angers me. I'll miss hugging you, holding your hand and kissing you. Can't wait to do that all when I'm back there. I won't get too sappy with this letter, because like we said, it's not goodbye._
> 
> _Send me pictures of the planes ( I wanna see how they look like when they're done properly because this one's all creased and ugly so sorry) and once I get 364 photos, I'll be on a plane back to you!_
> 
> _I love you a lot, Park. I know you get weak when I call you by your last name hehe_
> 
> _I'll see you soon, talk to you even sooner. Love you Jae. Love you, love you, love you! ♡♡_
> 
> _\- Bri Bri ♡♡♡_

Jae doesn't cry hard, just 2 tears slip down, but he's okay. He sets up the calendar on the side of his desk, and takes a photo of the one Brian gave him

_364 more to go._ He thinks, and then goes downstairs to tell his parents about the gift.

When Brian lands, he calls Jae and is going on about how it's funny how he left Korea in the morning and arrived in Canada in the morning. And thus begins the year without Brian.

University is good, Jae has acquaintances in his lectures, but mainly makes time for the boys. They hang out like usual, and at first it's hard. Brian and Jae call daily, usually one of them is sleeping due to their time differences, but it's nice to just see each other's faces. Brian talks about these 2 friends he made, Terry and Don, and Jae keeps him updated on the boys. But soon enough, their courses start to pile up and they don't mind the day or 2 between calls. When exam season hits, they don't talk often, but they send each other Christmas gifts and it's cute. Jae included a polaroid of him and the plane for the 25th of December, and Brian hangs it in his room. Soon, the once assumed unbearable days become casual weeks, then speeding months.

One day, when all of Jae's exams are done and he's officially completed his first year in university, he's on call with Brian.

"One more week!"

"Yes sir!" Brian says with a happy smile,

"Why are Toronto exams later than ours?"

"I don't know, but I'm on the earliest flight there after these exams."

"Did you even study?"

"No, I was too busy packing and booking my flight," he jokes. 

"Is that the plane from today?" 

"Mhm," Jae says, holding it up to the camera,

"Only 7 more to go!" he exclaims, a bright smile on his face and Brian smiles,

"7 more planes."

The next day, the group meets up to start their summer. Junhyeok is picking all of them up before they go out to eat and maybe paintballing or laser tag after. Jae's finished getting ready, so he sits at his desk.

"Mom!" he yells, and hears,

"Yes?" 

"Mom, have you seen the plane for today?" and she goes into the room,

"The what?"

"Today's plane, I had it ready on my desk,"

"Oh, shoot! I threw it out, sorry," 

"Wha- Mom! Why would you-" his phone goes off, 

"Hello?"

"Jae, we're outside!" Sungjin informs, and Jae looks out his window to see Junhyeok's car.

"Mom, please find it so I can fold it when I get back, okay?" 

"Yes, for sure. I'm sorry, sweetie,"

"It's okay," he assures with a smile and hugs his mom,

"I'll be back later tonight!" 

"Okay, be safe! Have fun," 

"Yup," he says before going down the stairs and saying a quick bye to his dad who was in the living room.

Jae enters the car and is greeted with familiar faces he's seen throughout the year. They say their hey's and how've you been's. 

"You excited for Bri to come home next week?" Wonpil asks,

"Hell yeah," he replies,

"So is this one," Wonpil replies, looking to Sungjin,

"I admit that proudly." he says, shamelessly and the group laughs.

They go out to eat somewhere Jae's never been before, and over their food, they catch up in depth, talking about their majors, people they've met in lectures, other trivial or big updates. After the restaurant, they begin walking as the weather allows it, and debate over the next activity. Jae's talking to Wonpil about music he's been listening to recently when something catches his eye.

_Oh, no way._ he thinks as his eyes follow the paper plane that he recognizes as the one for today. He desperately looks in the direction it flew in from, oblivious to the knowing smiles the rest of the boys are wearing. 

He looks a bit tired, understandable since it is a long haul flight. But his smile is as radiant as ever,

"Looks like I'm 6 planes early, huh?" and Jae doesn't respond, just runs to Brian and hugs him. 

He smells like the way the sweaters he left behind used to, and Jae loves it, loves him.

"I missed you," Jae says, smiling as Brian's grip gets tighter.

"I missed you too."

"My mom didn't throw it out, did she?"

"Nope. C'mon, you should know by now your mom is our biggest supporter," Brian says, happily.

"You know what, I don't get how you managed to miss Sungjin's desk. I've thrown you 2 planes now, and I haven't missed you."

"I told you the window was open,"

"We're in open space right now! Susceptible to all outdoor influences!" and Jae laughs.

"Guess our planes just land where they're meant to then." and Brian smiles.

Jae leans back to admire Brian's face, but Brian grabs his chin and kisses him, and God have they missed this. 

"We did it," Brian says,

"Thank you. Can't believe I survived a year without you," he continues and Jae smiles,

"That's my line. Do you know how lonely it was?"

"You had the guys!"

"And you had Terry and Don!"

"Terry and Don don't fulfill certain needs," Brian teases, eyes on Jae's lips and Jae says,

"Neither do the guys..." 

"Well, we'll have to do something about that now that I'm back home, won't we?" and Jae nods before smiling and kissing Brian again.

Sungjin audibly clears his throat,

"I was gone a year, give us a break!" Brian yells back,

"I know, but say hi to us too!" and Brian laughs before jogging to his best friend, doing their handshake,

"You act like you didn't know I was coming home today. You helped me plan this!"

"Helping you plan and seeing you in person are different things, Kang Bri," he points out and Brian admits he's missed that nickname. 

"So, are we going to chill or do you two wanna go a hotel?" Dowoon teases, and Brian walks in between Wonpil and Dowoon, swinging an arm around both of their necks,

"Let's hang. I miss you guys too... Plus I have Jae for the night,"

"Oh, gross," Sungjin says, his face jokingly yet clearly disgusted. 

They catch up with Brian before deciding to go to an arcade and karaoke. It's fun, being all together again, and Jae figures maybe it won't be too hard to endure the wait 3 more times, but who knows what the future holds. Brian drives him and Jae back home, just to pick up a few things at Jae house before getting back in the truck.

"You still have this?" Jae says when they get in the truck,

"We left it with my mom's family. It wouldn't be the same without it, no?" Brian says, and Jae nods before taking Brian's hand in his. They jam to the radio with the windows rolled down, and Jae doesn't let go of Brian's hand as he drives. He'll make the most of these 2 months, he swears.

They get to the airport and get in the comfortable spots, Jae snuggling up to Brian who wraps an arm around him. Their fingers are intertwined as Brian places soft kisses on top of Jae's head which is leaning on his chest.

"You're really here." he says, and smiles at the low vibrations of Brian's laugh,

"I am." he confirms,

"With you, thankfully... Sorry for making you wait,"

Jae shakes his head, barely,

"It was hard on you too..." he comforts,

"I love you, Brian." he says and Brian smiles,

"Love you too, Jae."

"Thank you,"

"Stop thanking me and just kiss me," he says, and Brian follows the order. 

Definitely not the easiest thing to do, but they got through a year. They watch the planes as they talk, Jae missing the low voice Brian told stories with, and Brian missing the way Jae animatedly recalled experiences. This is the start of their summer. 

"I love you," Brian repeats, just in case Jae didn't hear the first few times, in case he didn't know. He leans in and they kiss, slow, surprisingly not in a huge rush to make up for the months apart.

"Welcome home." Jae says when they pull away just as a plane lands safely on the runway.

THE END.

Author's Note: HERE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thank you's to:  
> Giulia ♡ Sabby ♡ Uut ♡ Uyoo ♡ Kit ♡ Naw ♡ Jane ♡ Chris ♡ Katie ♡ Dania ♡ Fay ♡ Rukii ♡ Alfred 
> 
> Thank you all for reading! Please comment any thoughts, I'd love to know. Until the next story, love & blessings. - Zen.

**Author's Note:**

> will post this story here too! please comment any thoughts, and this will be updated until it's in sync with the original story on asianfanfics!


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